


Broke Down

by Salazar101



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Blowjobs, Car Accidents, Deadlock Gang, Guns, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Shimada Clan, Street Racing, chain smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-05-31 10:59:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 37,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19424602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Salazar101/pseuds/Salazar101
Summary: Gabriel Reyes has only been out of the military for a few months when he picks up the exciting, and illegal, sport of street racing through the hills of L.A.  Right up until he totals his beloved car and must seek out the help of Jack Morrison, the only mechanic willing to fix her up.  Unfortunately, the car isn't the only thing in rough shape.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I'm very excited to share this story with you all! It will update once a week on Sundays (the story is written, so don't worry about late updates!). Tags may be updated as the fic updates and I remember more that needs to be added. Comments and kudos appreciated!

It was the thrill of it; the brightly colored cars had caught his eye but it was the danger that had made him stay. It had only been a month since Gabriel had been discharged from the military when his friends had dragged him out of his messy apartment and took him to a street race in the hills outside of L.A. It had been a revelation for him, Gabriel had been slowly sinking into the bottom of a bottle when they had yanked him out and showed him that there were still things to get excited about, that loud bangs could be a backfiring car and not a mortar exploding right beside him. The roar of the engines, the fancy paint jobs, the larger than life drivers... Gabriel fell into it harder than his friends ever had, and it didn’t take long before he stopped seeing them at all.

At first it had just been watching races, then he’d started to make friends with drivers and bookies, integrating himself in with the community that had built up around the, admittedly illegal, sport. Then he started to bet on races, good at eyeing cars and drivers and seeing where they were each night. He already got disability checks from the military, and adding his winnings to that meant he was able to buy his  _ own _ car after only a few months, a 1965 Shelby GT350. It was his baby, something to treat right, to take his mind off all the bullshit he’d seen overseas. Gabriel had her painted black and red, named her The Reaper, and started to race her.

“Hey Reyes, ready to race?”

“Always am,” Gabriel leaned on the hood of Reaper, fingers brushing over the sultry curve of her door, “ready to lose all your money?” He grinned, baring his teeth at Jesse in a smile more aggressive than friendly, it made the scars on his face stretch in a way that he knew made him look imposing. The dark stretch of road was lit by lights brought out by organizers and the headlights of all the cars.

Jesse crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against his own car, some shitty old Camaro he’d no doubt driven off an abandoned ranch. The inside smelled like a cow field and Jesse was always wearing a cowboy hat like the damn thing was a horse. “Y’know... yer here for every race, don’t you have anything better to do?”

Gabriel glared at him, “What about you?”

Jesse shrugged, lips curling into a shit-eating smile. He was little more than a kid, barely 20 if he was a day, “This is my job for Deadlock, makes good money for the gang, I do plenty of other stuff.”

“You’ll die getting mixed up in that gang crap, kid,” Gabriel grunted. Like the races weren’t gang shit, owned and operated by the Shimada’s. Gabriel had to pay to race, half the money joined the pot while half went straight into Hanzo Shimada’s pocket. Gabriel opened Reaper’s door and slipped into the driver’s seat as a pretty girl in small shorts sauntered out into the road with a big flag over her shoulder. If Jesse noticed that Gabriel hadn’t answered his question he made no mention of it.   


Reaper’s engine roared to life, along with ten other cars beside, behind, and ahead of him. This was a big race, five miles through the twisting roads of L.A.’s worst hills, and that meant the payouts were that much larger. Gabriel glanced out his window to see Jesse sitting in his Camaro and looking at himself in the rearview mirror, adjusting the way his hat sat on his head. He looked like he didn’t care one way or another how the race went and Gabriel felt the thrill of competition thrum through his veins, it was the same feeling he’d gotten in battle when bullets had whizzed past him. A little voice in his head asked him if he was just using racing as an excuse not to adjust to regular life, to recklessly throw his life once more into a foxhole and wonder if he was going to die before he could get out of it.

Out front the girl was holding the flag up and all at once Gabriel’s focus snapped to laser precision, revving his engine as his hand tightened on the gear shift. All around him cars growled and snarled like they were angry beasts.

_ 3... _

_ 2... _

_ 1... _

The girl waved the flag back and forth and everyone was off, rushing past her and sending her black hair flying back. Gabriel passed too fast to see if she ever flinched at having all these cars rush past just inches away from her. One hand was tight on the wheel, the other shifting gears without having to look, while both feet worked the gas and clutch to send him past every other car and into the lead. Brake? What brake? Gabriel grinned recklessly, taking every turn on the inside, sliding into the opposite lane then back again. These roads were always empty except for the racers, perhaps that was because people  _ knew _ not to use them? Gabriel had never bothered to ask, because at the end of the day he couldn’t bring himself to care.

Oh! To live! Gabriel laughed and kept the gas pressed flat, his headlights illuminating the road before him so every turn was almost a surprise. That was half the fun of racing at night, the danger of it all! All other racers ceased to exist, no annoying Jesse or Genji, with his bright green Mustang. All of them were kids, they had no hope against him, he was a trained soldier, danger was where he lived, where he thrived. Genji’s headlights burned behind him, bright LED blue, while McCree’s could be seen flashing around every turn as they trailed behind him. Always behind him.

Gabriel knew these streets like the back of his hand by now, every curve like that of a lover. The race was like a caress, following the same lines he’d grown the love at his first race. There were several tracks of varying difficulty, but all of them embraced the hills outside the city and Gabriel’s Reaper had made love to each and every one of them.  


Five miles wasn’t long enough. Gabriel flew past the finish line, slowly starting to hit the brake so he didn’t spin out as he came to a stop and pulled over to the side. People were cheering or cursing depending on how they’d bet, and Gabriel stepped out of the car to wave as Genji came in second and Jesse in third. Money for the top three, and Gabriel also collected bet money for the night, 2,000 dollars richer than when he’d arrived.

“Not bad,” said Jesse, sauntering over after the crowd had thinned out a little, “y’know, you take those turns a little fast-”

“You can lecture me when you win against me,” said Gabriel, counting his bills and not even looking up.

“Now, y’know I don’t care much one way or the other, Ashe only wants me makin’ money and not losing it, but one might think you-”

Gabriel reached up and grabbed Jesse by the yellow handkerchief around his neck, hauling him forward to growl in his face, “Mind your own business,  _ kid _ .”  


“Now, hey, Reyes-” Jesse’s normally calm expression was looking a little worried, finally. He didn’t show Gabriel nearly enough respect.

“No fighting you two!” Genji called from across the road where he was washing bugs off his windshield.

Gabriel scoffed and shoved Jesse back, “Just stay in your lane.”

Jesse raised his hands in surrender and backed off, but Gabriel saw him rub the back of his neck before he slipped into his car. He shouldn’t have snapped like that, the kid had a good heart. He was always the first to help new racers with car problems and he and Genji had pulled him into the community with open arms. Gabriel was at least ten years older than them, but they had never made him feel old or broken.

He sighed and slid into the driver’s seat, turning his baby on and setting off for home. His winnings were shoved into a box and slid under his bed, and then Gabriel got around to microwaving a frozen pot pie and throwing himself on the couch to watch some early morning infomercials before he’d head to bed when the sun rose. His apartment was a little messy, clothes scattered on the floor, microwavable containers on the counter and floor where he’d left them. Before getting discharged a shrink had warned him that this might happen, rebelling against ten years of forced cleanliness, but this was nothing compared to how bad things had looked before he’d gotten into street racing.

At least there was no alcohol in the house, and Gabriel slept a normal amount, even if it was at weird hours. He had his car and his racing to occupy him, he wasn’t lying in bed thinking about gunfire and screaming and- Gabriel shut his eyes tightly, trying to focus on the sound of the infomercial trying to sell him a towel with sleeves. After sleep he’d wash his car, Reaper was always filthy after a race and there was another race tonight so she’d have to be shiny for all her admiring fans.

The thought of washing and waxing, an easy repetitive job, calmed him down enough to help him finish his food. Fuck whatever Jesse was implying, this was a good life. He was fine. Gabriel turned off the TV and headed to bed.

He woke up late, just enough time to eat something, give Reaper the washing and waxing she deserved, and then he was driving back out into the hills as the sun started to set. The first thing Gabriel noticed was that Jesse’s shitty Camaro was nowhere to be seen, and that thing stuck out like a sore thumb among all the other brightly colored and well-cared for cars. Gabriel parked in his space and got out, surveying the area. He saw Genji’s bright green mustang but Genji wasn’t around it.

Gabriel looked around, waving to other racers and speaking to bookies to put down some money. Then he noticed the vibrant blue 2016 Dodge Viper ACR VX I. A beautiful car that would have left them all in the dust, but Gabriel knew it wasn’t being raced because it belonged to Hanzo Shimada. There, Genji was looking petulant as Hanzo spoke to him, arms crossed over his chest as if he’d rather be anywhere else. Hanzo wore a black hoodie and blue sweats, but he somehow seemed like the best dressed person here. His hair hung loose, long bangs brushing down his cheeks and hiding his expression from Gabriel until he tucked the bang back behind his ear.

Gabriel slipped into the crowd and mingled, trying to get close enough to hear what they were saying. “--see the Deadlock boy isn’t here tonight.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Genji said.

“Do not. Lie. To me.” Hanzo growled, clipping each word sharply, his tongue like a blade, “You think my men answer to you? No. They tell me he is here often, but whenever I come he is not? Do you think me stupid?”

“I plead the fifth,” said Genji snidely.

Gabriel kept his head down and hands in his pockets, trying to look inconspicuous as he eavesdropped. He actually knew very little about the current gang war, just that Deadlock was the newest gang to try and muscle in on Shimada assets instead of existing as one of their sister gangs. The Shimada’s had been a presence in L.A. for so long that they’d just become one more fixture of the landscape, and they weren’t used to competition.  


Hanzo reached out, grabbing Genji by the front of his shirt and hauling him forward with a snarl, “You think yourself immune from my wrath just because you are my brother? If I think for even second that you have betrayed me--”

Genji shoved Hanzo back, straightening his shirt and running his hands through his bright green hair, “I haven’t betrayed you, brother!”

“Then you would do better than to... associate with Deadlock scum. My patience is not infinite, remember that.”

And that was that. Hanzo turned to speak to one of his men while Genji looked up and spotted Gabriel immediately, who grinned and wiggled his fingers in greeting. Genji rolled his eyes but pushed through the crowd to meet him, “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Gabriel asked as together they left the crowd and walked to Reaper, it wasn’t any quieter but at least they weren’t surrounded by people.

“It looked like eavesdropping,” said Genji.

“Then you have a good eye,” Gabriel admitted with a smirk. “What was all that about?”

“You were listening,” said Genji bitterly, lightly scuffing one of Reaper’s tires with his foot, “my brother thinks I’m a traitor because his men tell him I hang out with Jesse. I warned him away tonight because I have my  _ own _ men and they tell me when Hanzo is coming out to observe races.”

“Huh,” Gabriel stood on his toes to see Hanzo leaning against his car, sharp eyes darting this way and that as he observed everyone getting ready for the race, “I keep telling you two, you need to not mess with gang shit.”

“It's not so simple; and you are one to talk, you put your money right in my brother’s pocket every night.”

“Hey, if there were other races I would do those instead,” Gabriel snapped, he didn’t like being reminded of his own hypocrisy, thank you very much. On the side of the road a pretty girl was picking up the flag and that was their cue to get in their cars. Genji slipped away to his Mustang and Gabriel walked around Reaper to get behind her wheel. Hanzo, Genji, the gang crap... it all disappeared as he focused on the road, hands tightening on the wheel. This was where he belonged, it was his entire life, and he’d pay anyone to keep it. Even Hanzo Shimada.

Maybe it was because his brother was there that night, but Genji drove like a fiend. He zoomed past Gabriel was quickly he was caught by surprise. He was normally a more restrained racer than this, taking every turn as recklessly as Gabriel might. Only in a newer, nicer car. Perhaps there was one benefit to being the brother of a gang leader. Gabriel had his foot pressed to the floor, knuckles white on the wheel as he tried to pass Geni on the insides of the turns and was stymied each and every time.   


Their tires squealed as they took the corners with reckless abandon, Gabriel gritting his teeth so hard he was sure to develop a headache later. As they reached the home stretch Gabriel managed to squeeze forward, but it wasn’t enough. Genji won first with Gabriel only milliseconds behind in second. As they came to a stop on the side of the road Genji burst out of his car with a slightly wild laugh, drunk on adrenaline.   


“What’s wrong, old man, slowing down?” Genji grinned as Gabriel got out of Reaper. He gave her a pat on the hood then shot Genji a raised eyebrow.

“I just thought maybe you’d like to find out how I feel every night,” retorted Gabriel.

“Ha! We’ll see about that,” Genji bound over, eyes bright and a little wild as he punched Gabriel in the shoulder, “next time we race I’m going to win again.”

“Challenge accepted,” Gabriel punched Genji in the shoulder, a little harder than he needed to, and was pleased to hear him grunt in pain and take a step back. Good, little shit should remember exactly who he was talking to. Gabriel owned these roads. He walked off to speak to the organizers about what the second place pot was looking like.

Well, the winnings weren’t as large but it was enough to make it worth it. Some of his bets were bust but some went through, so he ended up about even on that front. It wasn’t about the money though, not really. Gabriel collected his winnings, noticing that Hanzo wasn’t at the finish line. Perhaps he’d just wanted to try and catch Jesse and didn’t care about anything else. That was fine with Gabriel, he didn’t want to deal with being reminded of the illegal crap he was brushing up against every time he raced.

“Going to be here tomorrow, Reyes?” asked one of the officials as they passed by Reaper.

“Always am,” said Gabriel, tucking the money into his back pocket in preparation for heading home.

“Massive storm tomorrow according to the forecast,” the woman warned, “not sure how many people will even be there.”

“Not my concern. Just means less competition,” Gabriel waved her off, opening his door and flopping down into the driver’s seat with a sigh. He was ready to head to bed.

The next day dawned cloudy, and by the time Gabriel rolled out of bed the rain was pattering against his window. He frowned over a cup of black coffee, staring into the city streets and seeing how they glistened with oil. Goddammit... she’d been right and he hated racing in the rain. Many racers refused to race at all in this kind of weather, it meant that winning would be extra profitable as the bets changed and shifted but it was also a goddamn bitch to do, and four times as dangerous. Many didn’t find the extra risk worth the reward. Gabriel may have hated driving in the rain, but goddamn did he love the money.   


He sipped his coffee and sat down at his little kitchen table, something he’d scavenged from an alley behind the apartments and was a stained puke green color like it’d jumped right out of the 60s. All of his furniture was an anachronistic mix of garbage he’d found for free, whether in alleys or on the side of the street. Gabriel just couldn’t muster the energy to care about the way he lived. It was like the military had drained every ounce of energy out of him, and if it weren’t for racing he’d have just lay in bed until he’d drank himself to death.

Gabriel’s phone buzzed from where it was plugged in on the kitchen counter and he sighed and tilted back his chair to grab it and yank it and the charging cord to the table. He’d been through 3 charging cords already.   


**Jesse McCree 1:33 PM**

_ U goin 2 the race 2nite? _

**Gabriel Reyes 1:33 PM**

_ What do you think? _

**Jesse McCree 1:34 PM**

_ U shouldnt, big storm 2nite Genji and I watching movie u should join us _

**Gabriel Reyes 1:34 PM**

_ Have you ever met me? I’m going to the race. _

**Jesse McCree 1:35 PM**

_ Nice knowing u :( _

Gabriel tossed his phone onto the table and finished off his coffee. Everyone in L.A. thought a sprinkle of rain was a big storm, it wasn’t his first race in the rain and it wouldn’t be his last. After eating a piece of dry toast Gabriel headed down to the garage under his apartment building to start washing and waxing Reaper, getting her nice and shiney. It didn’t matter that she would be coated in mud after tonight, what mattered was the routine of it all. Race, sleep, wash, race. It was fine... everything was fine.

By the time he had to head out of the city to where the race was taking place, the rain was really pouring down. So much so that even  _ driving _ to the venue was a little shaky. Gabriel turned off the main streets and onto the backroads, leaning forward as if that would help him see through the torrential rain any better. It didn’t. His headlights could barely penetrate and the darkness was like an oppressive fist wrapped around his chest. The longer he drove the more a little voice inside him asked if he wouldn’t rather just watch movies with a couple of goofy kids. Bastard. Gabriel didn’t give up so easily.

Gabriel drove up to the starting line to see a very small crowd, little more than the race officials and-

“I thought you two were watching movies,” Gabriel pulled on a beanie then stepped out into the heavy rain to run over to where Jesse and Genji were sharing a massive umbrella on the side of the road.

“Genji thought you might need someone to pull you out of a flaming wreck-oof,” Jesse grunted as Genji elbowed him.

“You know, it’s not too late to back out,” said Genji, “we could go get some burgers.”

“You two worry too much, I’m a grown-ass man,” Gabriel frowned, crossing his arms over his chest as he glared down at the two boys. Genji’s bright green hair, usually so neatly styled, was limp and wet against his head, while Jesse’s hat was dripping with water. Wind was blowing water over them both despite the umbrella.

“That’s why we’re so worried,” said Genji.

“Does Hanzo know you’re out here with  _ him _ ?” Gabriel snapped, gesturing at Jesse.

“Hey now there’s no reason to bring him into this-” said Jesse quickly as Genji bristled and took a step forward, “is it a crime to worry about a friend?”

“Just stay out of my business and I’ll stay out of yours, that’s all I’m saying,” said Gabriel, looking Genji right in the eye, daring him to take another step forward.

“Do you enjoy being alone, Reyes, easier for you to kill yourself?” Genji asked lowly, hands clenched into fists at his sides.

“What?” Now Gabriel was taking a step forward, heart jumping into his throat as he felt that battle rage jolt through him, “You presumptuous little kid-”

“Enough!” Jesse dropped the umbrella and stepped between them, his hands on Gabriel’s chest as he tried to push him back again, “C’mon, let’s cool down now. Genji and I are here to support you-” Jesse talked over Gabriel’s snort, “-so how about you get into your car and we’ll see you at the finish line.”

“Tch... yeah,” Gabriel forced himself to relax, taking a deep breath, “sorry, Genji. Shouldn’t have snapped, we’ll go get burgers when the race is over.”

Genji nodded slowly, fingers uncurling as he met Gabriel’s eye unflinchingly, “Sure, but you’re paying.”

“Fair enough,” Gabriel gave them a small wave then headed back to Reaper, it looked like everyone who was going to race was there. Only four people including him, it would be a cake walk. He sat behind the wheel, dripping water into his seats and trying to dry off his hands so they wouldn’t slip on the wheel or the shift. He turned the wipers on as high as they could go, but between the wind, the rain, and the darkness he could hardly see a foot out from his headlights.

Another girl ran out into the road with a sopping wet flag, she looked like she’d rather be anywhere else. Gabriel focused, heart thumping in his ears as once more his vision narrowed to the road ahead, the route he’d memorized by now, and no storm was going to stop him from winning this race, from feeling this thrill.

There were no theatrics as the girl flopped the flag down, and Gabriel was ahead of the pack immediately, it was clear that the other racers were taking it slow. Their loss! Gabriel laughed, squinting out the windshield as he took the turns more on instinct than anything else. It was like flying! It was like jumping from a plane and parachuting into a battlefield! It was everything he needed to taste iron on the back of his tongue and to feel the beat of his heart like a hammer against his ribs. To feel alive!

The wind was buffeting his car, forcing him to hold tighter to the wheel to attempt to correct for it. A massive gust hit him just as he was turning a sharp corner and Gabriel made the biggest mistake a racer could possible make.

He hit the brake.

It was an automatic reaction to seeing the turn come up too fast and the wind jerking his car over, but it had his wheels locking up with a scream and the slick, wet road had him spinning a full 360 degrees. Was he screaming? All Gabriel could hear was his heartbeat and the screeching of tires on wet road, car spinning and spinning as he tried to turn into it-

_ CRUNCH _

All at once his momentum came to a sudden stop, smashing the side of Gabriel’s head into the window so hard that his vision doubled and he vomited on himself. Oh fuck... it was Afghanistan all over again, he fumbled with the door but he wasn’t seeing the car anymore, he was laying in the dirt with shards of mortar peppering his body and his head bleeding into the dirt as darkness encroached upon him and he knew... he knew he was going to die...

Gabriel slouched against the cracked window, eyes fluttering shut.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel meets Jack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *rings bell* here is your Sunday update, bright and early! Let me know what you think!

The first thing that came back to him was the sound of medical equipment.

_ Beep...beep...beep...beep... _

Sounds he’d hoped he’d never hear again. Next, it was the feeling of bandages tight on his head, and then that his left arm was immobilized. Finally, Gabriel groggily opened his eyes to see a dim hospital room light above him. What the hell had happened? Last thing he remembered was spinning out during the race and then-

What had happened to Reaper?! Gabried tried to sit up but the move had his stomach rolling and his arm, no doubt broken, screaming at him. So he sat back down with a gasp, eyes squeezing shut as his head throbbed.

“He’s awake!”

Gabriel squint out of one eye to see Jesse and Genji hovering over him, both of them looked like they hadn’t slept. What were these two idiots doing here? Gabriel cleared his throat and licked his chapped lips, “What-”

“You spun out,” said Jesse, spinning his hat nervously in his hands, “Shit, man, we thought you were dead when we found you, your head was so bloody and it was so dark-”

“Reaper...” Gabriel managed to say, voice hoarse.

Jesse stopped talking, mouth hanging open as he just stared down at him. All at once he rammed his hat onto his head, “You almost died and all you wanna know about is yer stupid car!?”

Gabriel grit his teeth as his head throbbed again, “Voice down..”

“Reyes, we had her towed,” said Genji, and his soft voice was a boon compared to Jesse’s rough drawl.

“You’re a damn fool,” Jesse muttered, but he’d lowered his voice. “She’s totaled. I don’t even think you should be racing anymore.”

“I’m the best racer on the street and you know it!”

“It’s not about being good!” Jesse was yelling again and Gabriel groaned in pain, turning his head away and squeezing his eyes shut, “It’s about makin’ stupid, risky mistakes! That tree you hit didn’t care how good you were! The storm don’t care how good you are!”

“Jesse,” said Genji softly.

“You’re an infuriating old man,” Jesse snarled, “I’m going to get a cuppa joe!”

Jesse stormed out of the room, leaving Gabriel alone with Genji. He didn’t even want to look at Genji, but he felt a card slipped into his good hand and opened his eyes to bring it up and read it.

_ Jack Morrison _

_ 3246 Overwatch Lp _

_ Kernville, CA 93238 _

“What’s this?” Gabriel flipped the card over but there wasn’t any other information on it.

“According to the shops I spoke to while you were out, Reaper is totaled, they won’t work on her,” Genji placed a gentle hand on Gabriel’s shoulder as he made a strangled sound, “You hit the tree so hard it sheared off half her trunk, and the front hit another tree and smashed up your coolant reservoir, radiator, and...well... that was just from what I could see. But Morrison works out of his own home and he’ll do bodywork and mechanics, if you’re set on getting Reaper back on the road, then go see him.”

Gabriel stared at the card, licking his lips again, “Why are you telling me this?”   


Genji shrugged, “Does it matter? I should go find Jesse...”

Gabriel was left alone, staring at the card, Jack Morrison... he hoped he’d be as good as Genji said. All Gabriel wanted was to get back on the road, scared of who he was without the routine. Genji and Jesse came back after about half an hour, but they were chased out an hour later by a nurse as visiting hours came to an end. Gabriel was left alone with his thoughts and the beeping machines... his eyes grew heavy... and he was back in the desert.

His stay in the hospital lasted about a week, and most of that was just because they had to keep an eye on the head wound.. According to the nurses he’d got off light with a concussion, a minor skull fracture, and a broken arm. Nothing had required surgery, and they told him his arm would set and be good as new with PT which he could get through the VA.

Jesse and Genji visited often, which was a little surprising to him. Gabriel liked them well enough but he wouldn’t have thought them all close enough to be visiting this often. Since the first night Jesse hadn’t mentioned Reaper at all, as a matter of fact both he and Genji were obviously avoiding talking about racing at all. Whenever Gabriel asked how things were going Jesse just made some excuse about Ashe diversifying gang assets and Genji said he was busy upgrading his car.

They were even there for him the day he was released, wheeled out to Genji’s bright green car and helped out of the chair and into the front seat, “I don’t need a damn wheelchair,” he grumbled as a nurse took it back into the hospital.

“C’mon, Reyes, they just want to make sure you don’t fall down on hospital property... gonna be okay on yer own at home?” Jesse was leaning forward from the backseat, elbows resting on both Genji’s seat and Gabriel’s.

“I’ll be fine, I’ve had worse,” said Gabriel, looking out the window as Genji pulled out and drove away. He was so damn glad to be out of the hospital, Gabriel wanted to be at home, he wanted to get Reaper fixed up and ready for the moment he could drive again. Jesse helped Gabriel to the elevator, and though he wouldn’t admit it he was glad for the support. It wasn’t that he couldn’t walk, he was just now realizing how weak his legs were after laying in a hospital bed for a week, only getting up to use the bathroom.

“Y’sure you’re going to be okay here alone?” Jesse asked as he helped Gabriel sit down on his ratty old couch.

“I broke my arm, I didn’t get all my limbs amputated,” Gabriel said a bit sharply, he was ready to be alone again, “I’m going to be fine.”

“We can stop by tomorrow,” said Genji, looking around at Gabriel’s bare walls and dirty floor, “maybe bring you some food.

“Don’t bother, I think I’d like to just relax for a bit,” said Gabriel. First thing tomorrow he was calling Jack Morrison and having Reaper towed to Kernville to get started on her repairs. If Jesse and Genji could just get off his fucking back for a bit. He knew Jesse wouldn’t approve, and though Genji had given him the card he didn’t quite know where he stood on the issue of Gabriel racing again. Maybe he didn’t want people caring about what he did or what happened to him, it just made life more complicated.

Jesse sighed and threw up his hands, “Fine, just...keep in touch, you cagey bastard.”

Oh great, now he felt like an asshole. Gabriel groaned and rubbed his hand over his face, “I will, I will... can’t a guy get a break from two noisy kids?”

Jesse let out a long breath, tipping his hat back by the brim, “Alright we’ll leave you to it...” but his tone made it clear he wasn’t happy about it.   


Genji seemed to look right through him, as if he  _ knew _ that Gabriel wasn’t going to be resting tomorrow. Well, he had no right to complain, he was the one who’d given Gabriel the card in the first place. “See you later, Gabe, take care of yourself,” Genji said, putting a hand on Jesse’s shoulder to guide him towards the door.

Why did they even care? Gabriel sat on the couch and watched them leave before getting up and walking over to lock the door. Every once in awhile he’d get a slight dizzy spell, left over from his first head injury and made worse by his second. The doctors had told him it shouldn’t be debilitating and that the dizzy spells should fade over time, but to contact the hospital if they ever got worse.

Gabriel hated dealing with the VA, but maybe he could convince them to up his disability percentage. Thank God he had plenty of money saved up in the box under his bed, it should pay for the repairs, no matter how extensive, and cover rent and food while he healed. Barely. Gabriel supposed it depended on the cost of the repairs, a smart man might total the car and then just buy a new one but Gabriel couldn’t do that to Reaper, his heart ached at the thought of her rotting away in a wrecking yard.

He ended up falling asleep on the couch, too tired to stumble the ten feet to his bedroom.   


_ Gabriel’s heart beat in his ears, thumping so hard he could feel it thundering like a drum. He crouched behind a ruined house and looked up at the sky, hoping for backup. They were supposed to be here hours ago, most of his company was already dead, they were cornered here with enemies ahead of them and enemies behind them... and they were closing in. _

_ “Captain Reyes, your orders? Your orders, sir?” _

_ The kid was 20 if he was a day, and Gabriel could see the fear in his eyes, he was close to breaking. “We’re going to survive,” said Gabriel, because there was nothing else to say. He had seven living men with him, and most of them were just fucking kids, and to say their chances were nil would be cruel. He glanced around and spotted a bombed out building across from them, the floors had fallen in such a way that they could slip in unseen and stay hidden until backup arrived to get them out of here. It was a risk, if they were found they were cornered. _

_ “Jones, you take point and I’ll take rear,” said Gabriel, “we’re going over there to hide in the rubble.” They were sitting ducks out here, they needed cover.   
_

_ “Copy that, Captain,” said Jones, he was the oldest guy in the company and he seemed to be staying pretty calm. Of course, he could be in shock. Gabriel crouched against the wall, his gun held close to his body as he kept an eye behind them as Jones led the way to the bombed out building. _

_ Gabriel could see salvation... right before it all went to shit. His men had trusted him to the very end, but trust wasn’t enough. It was never enough. Gabriel glanced into the sky and saw the mortar whistling towards them, he dove one way and his men dove into the building. He was lucky to live, and he could only pray that as a ton of rubble collapsed onto them that their deaths had been swift. _

Gabriel woke up with a gasp, nearly rolling off the couch as he struggled to sit up and run to the bathroom to throw up into the toilet. It had been a long time since he’d dreamed about that, and the feelings of disgust and horror were as fresh as the day he’d laid in the dirt and screamed as he watched his men die... all because of him. Fuck his arm ached... Gabriel spit into the bowl and slowly pushed himself to his feet before flushing and stumbling into the bedroom to lay out on the bed. He reached up to touch the scars on his face, shrapnel scars... they never hurt except after the nightmares when they stung like he’d been hit all over again. The alarm clock said it was five in the morning, too early to call anyone; so Gabriel just lay awake in bed as the minutes ticked by and he tried to wrestle down the guilt into something he could live with.

This was why he had to race; the routine, the thrill, it replaced these nightmares.

Surely 7am was late enough to call this guy. Gabriel got up and went into the kitchen to grab his phone and pull out the business card to call Jack Morrison. The phone rang only once before a deep, gravelly voice answered.

“Hello?”

“Hey, I heard you’re the best mechanic in California. If I towed my car over there, would you take a look at it?”

There was a long silence on the other end, long enough that Gabriel wondered if the guy had hung up on him. Finally, “Yeah, I can look at it.”

“Can I bring it up today?”

“Sure,” Morrison grunted, “and who am I expecting?”

“Gabriel Reyes, I’ll be there soon,” he said eagerly, hanging up and dropping his phone on the table before hurrying to get dressed. If there was one thing he missed it was people helping dress him while he had a broken arm in a sling. So Gabriel just wore a tank top and shorts, calling the lot where his car was stuck and asking them to tow it to Kernville, which was out in the fucking mountains around L.A.

He took an Uber out there, watching the city disappear behind him as they climbed into the hills. It was scenic and it was quaint and it was a boring three hour drive. The Uber drove onto a dirt road past the tiny little town, so not only was Morrison in the boondocks, he was in the  _ outskirts _ of the boondocks. The driver finally pulled up in front of a massive garage, behind which was a cute little house.

Tow truck wasn’t here yet. Gabriel stepped out of the Uber and walked towards the garage. Both bay doors were open and another car was in the first bay, hood up.   


“Jack Morrison?” Gabriel asked, noticing a booted foot not hidden by the hood.

Gabriel was stopped in his tracks as Jack Morrison stood up and stepped out from behind the hood. He was gorgeous, a strong jaw, blond hair, striking blue eyes. There was a cigarette between his lips that was smoking gently as he wiped his hands off on a dirty rag. Jack sucked on the cigarette then dropped it on the concrete and stomped it out with his boot, smoke pouring from his nostrils.

“Gabriel Reyes?” Jack said, no wonder his voice was gravelly, it was a smoker’s voice.

“Oh, uh, yeah that’s me. Car should be here soon,” said Gabriel, stepping into the garage and holding out his hand for a shake.

Jack had a strong shake and calloused hands, his eyes boring into Gabriel’s, “While we wait why don’t you tell me the damage?”

Gabriel watched him pull a pack of cigarettes out of his back pocket and light a fresh one, “I got into an accident so it needs some major body work, and apparently part of the engine is smashed up... haven’t had a chance to look at it.”

Jack glanced at his broken arm, cigarette dangling from his lips like it belonged there. Gabriel noticed that the tips of his fingers were yellow, and even though the garage had two massive bay doors open the whole place smelled like smoke. So, a serious smoker then. Gabriel had dabbled on tour, everyone had, but he didn’t care for the coughing and wheezing that came with it.

“What’s the model?”

“A 1965 Shelby GT350,” said Gabriel quickly. “Her name is Reaper,” he added on, unable to help himself.

Jack just grunted, squinting outside as the sun bore down on them, “Yeah, I can work on that. Older cars are easier to build up than newer ones... will have to buy a junker to scavenge bodywork and engine parts from. It’ll take a long time, probably be pretty expensive...” Jack was looking at him from the corner of his eye, pinching his cigarette between his fingers as he took a drag then blew it out in a cloud of smoke.

“I can pay, whatever it is,” Gabriel couldn’t stop looking at his lips, even with a cigarette between them.

Jack shrugged, “Well, if you can pay then I can work.”

Gabriel cleared his throat, it had been a long time since he’d been attracted to someone. Certainly before the... incident. He found himself wanting to be here, with Jack, even if it was just to sit back and watch him work. Was it the smell of cigarette smoke? Or how intense his eyes were? Was it the square jaw, the rough voice? Something about him spoke directly to that place in Gabriel that craved danger.   


“Would you be opposed to me... helping out a little?” Gabriel said, licking his lips.

“You know how to fix cars?” Jack asked incredulously, looking him up and down, eyes once more lingering on the arm as if to say that even if he could the broken arm would stop him.

“No, but I’d like to learn a little something. Teach a man to fish and all that,” Gabriel smiled, he’d been told in the past he had a good smile and he wanted Jack to let him hang around.

Jack laughed, a low ‘heh’ as he rolled the cigarette between his lips, “You know, teaching men to fish is bad for fishermen... but yeah, if you really want to hang around I won’t stop you. I’ll just make you fetch tools for me.”

Gabriel could feel himself grinning wider, and his heart beat like a drum. It was like starting a race or facing down a battle...and he needed this feeling to live.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Gabriel go visit Jack's friend to get parts to fix his car

While Jack worked on the car already in the shop, Gabriel hung around and grabbed tools for him whenever he asked for them. Jack Morrison had a gorgeous garage, it had two bays but could probably fit four cars if they were crammed in there. Everything was meticulously organized into tool boxes or hung up on corkboard, all covered in outlines for each tool. It made it pretty easy for Gabriel to find things and bring them over.

“Is it really safe to smoke and stick your head in an engine?” Gabriel asked, watching as Jack slid his hands deep into the engine with a wrench as he tried to... do something. He had oil up to his elbows and his cigarette clamped between his pursed lips as he struggled a little.

“If God says I die in a fiery blaze then that’s how I die,” said Jack. There was a clunk, a crash, and then Jack swore and yanked his hands back. Gabriel could see fresh cuts on his knuckles as he hissed and held one of his fingers that he’d evidently smashed. “Bastard,” Jack snapped, kicking the tire of the car and then handing Gabriel the wrench before reaching back in.

“Who’re you fixing this piece of junk for?” Gabriel asked, taking the wrench back to its place on the wall.

“Me,” said Jack, voice muffled as he spoke directly into the engine.

“Oh,” Gabriel coughed, then noticed that Jack was grinning at him from over his shoulder. If Jack was pretty while his face was blank, he was beautiful with a smile.

“I know it’s a piece of crap now, but I’m going to make her gorgeous again... she’s still a big bitch though.” Jack leaned back and finally managed to get the part he’d been struggling with out of the engine.

That was when the tow truck came crunching up the gravel road, Reaper on a flatbed because her back end was too fucked up to tow any other way. Jack was wiping his hands off on a rag, setting the part down on a desk. He whistled at the sight of Reaper, one eyebrow cocked, “Damn... you sure you wouldn’t want to just buy a different car? It’ll cost you less.”

Gabriel winced as the tow truck unloaded his car none to gently right into the empty bay, “No, out of the question.”

Jack shrugged, finishing his cigarette and barely waiting after stomping out the butt before another was between his lips. “Suit yourself.” He circled her, fingers running over her ravaged back end and then shoving up her hood with a squeal of twisted metal. It was worse than Gabriel ever could have imagined, the damage seemed impossible to fix.

“Well, after she’s done don’t know how much of her will be original, I’m going to have to just replace the entire body,” said Jack, taking a drag and then pulling out the cigarette as he stuck his head into the engine, poking around. “She’ll need a new engine too, the whole block is damaged... but the transmission can be saved, and your front wheels look okay.”

Gabriel hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath, some part of him had expected Jack to just tell him to fuck off, and if Jack wouldn’t do it he didn’t know where else to go with a car this damaged. “You can do it though, right?”

“Sure,” Jack stuck the cigarette back into his mouth and Gabriel wondered idly if he had an oral fixation before shoving that thought away. “But like I said, it’ll be expensive and it’ll take time.”

Gabriel pointed to his broken arm, “Can’t drive like this anyway, I’ve got time.”

“Alright, well, can’t do anything without a junker or two so we have to head to the scrapyard and see what Torbjorn has to offer,” Jack walked out of the garage and Gabriel stood there beside Reaper, not sure if he should leave or not. He’d offered to help, of course, but he wasn’t sure that extended to following Jack around on errands. That was until Jack turned around, “You coming or not?”

“You’re just going to leave the garage open?” Gabriel asked, hurrying after him but couching his hesitation as concern for theft. Smooth. Speaking with someone who wasn’t a racer felt stilted and weird, Gabriel realized he hadn’t even  _ tried _ to hold a conversation with anyone else since joining the scene.

“No one is going to come out here to bother my stuff,” Jack said, leading the way to a massive truck and climbing into the driver’s seat.   


Gabriel had to be a little careful getting into the passenger seat, and he had to slip the chest strap off his seat belt because of how it put pressure on his arm.

Predictably the whole car smelled like cigarettes even though Jack evidently drove with every window down, “Air conditioning doesn’t work,” he said by way of explanation as they flew down the gravel road.

“Aren’t you a mechanic?” Gabriel teased lightly.

“If it isn’t stopping the car from running it’s rarely worth fixing,” said Jack, flicking his cigarette butt out the window with two fingers.

“Seems like more of a quality of life thing,” said Gabriel, looking out his window at the gorgeous mountains surrounding them. “Sure the car runs but you live in SoCal with no air conditioning.”

“Maybe I’ll fix it when the car breaks down,” Jack grunted, turning off onto an unmarked road. “Until then, it’s fine.”

And that seemed like the end of that conversation. Gabriel lapsed into silence as they drove, breathing in the fresh, hot air blasting him in the face as Jack took the dirt roads at a reckless speed. Maybe he had a bit of racer in him, too. Gabriel found it was a lot less comfortable to be a passenger than a driver when someone was taking sharp, 60 mph turns on gravel that caused the tires to skid.

Gabriel wanted to start up another conversation, but he was out of practice when it came to talking about things other than racing his car. That was comfortable to him, it didn’t challenge him or force him to think too hard. Jack was like a smooth wall and Gabriel was struggling to find more than a couple hand holds to drag himself along. And Jesse thought  _ Gabriel  _ was closed off... guy should meet Jack and then see if he had any right to complain about him.

Before he could think himself into circles, Jack came to a stop outside a high reinforced fence besides a metal call box and pressed the button, “I know you’re there, Lindholm, let me in.”

“Well, hello to you too, Sunshine,” came a growl with a thick Swedish accent.

The gate rattled open and before Gabriel’s eyes stretched what seemed like miles of junked out cars. Some of them were stacked up and some were lined up neatly, and Gabriel couldn’t figure out rhyme nor reason for why some were or weren’t.   


Jack drove down a narrow path made out of stacked tires to a surprisingly nice ranch house with a dwarf standing outside tapping his foot on the gravel. He had a bushy blond beard and his eyes were shadowed under a cap.

“Haven’t seen you in awhile,” said the dwarf, Lindholm, Gabriel assumed. “What, Ingrid’s cooking scare you off?”

“You got any 1965 Shelby GT350s lying around?” said Jack, hopping out of the truck and slamming the door shut.

Lindholm frowned, “Yeah.” His eyes landed on Gabriel as he came around the truck and narrowed. “And who’s this?”

“Gabriel Reyes, a client,” said Jack, in the time it had taken for Gabriel to get out of the car, Jack had already lit another cigarette. “I need that Shelby towed to my garage. If you’ve got more than one I’ll take two... gotta have a solid body and a fixable engine.”

Lindholm waved his hand, “Yeah yeah, let me show you what I’ve got and you can pick out what you need.”

Jack nodded, waving for Gabriel to follow as they set off into the sea of junked cars. Some of them looked pretty good, and Gabriel found himself briefly distracted by a Camaro that looked very similar to the one Jesse drove; it almost seemed nicer. Then they walked by a car that someone had put bull horns on and painted an anatomically questionable cowgirl on the hood. Gabriel just had to whip out his phone and take a picture.

“You know we could give your car this paintjob.”

Gabriel nearly jumped out of his skin as Jack’s chest brushed his back and his hot breath slipped over his ear, how had he even snuck up on him?! He quickly put some space between them, feeling his heart lodge in his throat as he tried to reconcile the fear with the knowledge that he wasn’t in battle anymore. Jack just stood there looking at him, hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans as he rolled his cigarette from one corner of his mouth to the other.

“If it’s all the same to you, I’ll just redo the paint I already have… and don’t sneak up on me like that,” said Gabriel, rubbing his chest as if he could coax his heart back down between his ribs.

“Sorry,” Jack said, but he had a hard face to read so Gabriel wasn’t sure how sincere that apology was.

“Keep up you two!” Lindholm growled from far ahead, “Or I’ll leave you here!”

Gabriel and Jack fell into step together, and he stopped paying so much attention to the junked out cars and more attention to Jack. He was trying to peg the guy, but he seemed to refuse any and all analysis like water off a duck.   


Jack turned to look at him, pulling out his cigarette and tossing it into the dirt, lips parting as if he had something to say.

“MORRISON!” Jack jumped in shock as Lindholm yelled at him, and for once that face was alive with expression. It was like a wall had dropped, if only briefly. “What have I told you about throwing your butts around?!”

“Sorry, Torbjorn,” said Jack, chastened as he leaned down and grabbed the cigarette butt off the ground.

Gabriel was fascinated, he was staring and didn’t care if he was caught. That face was a lot prettier when it wasn’t carefully blank. Jack pinched off a bit of ash with his fingers then stuffed the butt into his pocket. He shot Gabriel a look then glanced away and that pretty face was schooled once more into unreadableness.

“Well, and here I thought you were the type to answer to nobody,” Gabriel teased, elbowing Jack lightly as they followed Lindholm.

“Don’t test man who owns a junkyard full of hidden turrets.”

“Full of  _ what _ ?!” Gabriel looked around, bumping into Jack who gripped his shoulder and laughed roughly.

“I’m kidding... he hasn’t perfected the design yet,” Jack squeezed his shoulder and Gabriel turned to look at him, finding their faces so close that he could see just how clear blue the guy’s eyes were, like looking into a placid lake.

“Alright, here we are,” said Lindholm from ahead.

When Jack pulled away, Gabriel just stood and watched him for a second. There was someone inside that shell... he wanted to know  _ that _ person. Gabriel followed him after a beat and saw Lindholm standing beside a row of cars all the same model as Reaper. Some looked like they’d been in bad accidents, others were just showing the wear and tear of being outside in the sun with their paint blistering off and their interiors faded.

Jack wandered between them, popping hoods and poking around engines, “Mmm, I’ll take this one and... this one.”

“Right,” Lindholm was making a note on a little notebook that he then tucked back into his pocket. “Brigitte will have these delivered tomorrow. Now, why don’t you two stay for lunch? Ingrid is making some apple pies to go with the grilled cheese and tomato soup.”

“No, we should get back,” said Jack quickly, and Gabriel noticed he was going for his thinning pack of cigarettes. How many packs did this guy go through in a day?

“Why?” Lindholm asked gruffly, crossing his arms over his chest. “These won’t be there until tomorrow. What're  _ you _ doing that’s so important?”

“Well-”

“I’d love to stay for lunch,” Gabriel interrupted, grinning as Jack shot him a nasty glare, “What? Got a problem with enjoying a home cooked meal, Jack?” As a man who lived on microwavable meals, home cooked tomato soup, grilled cheese, and apple pie sounded like a veritable feast.

“Then it’s settled,” said Lindholm, slapping Gabriel on the back as he passed by. “What’s your name again, kid?”

“Gabriel Reyes.”

Jack was dragging his feet as he followed behind them, Gabriel wondered why he was so resistant to this. Maybe Ingrid’s cooking was actually terrible? Well, he was willing to find out.

“Call me Torbjorn,” he reached out to shake and Gabriel found his hand calloused from hard work with a strong grip. A shake that Gabriel could respect. “You live in Kernville?”

“No, I’m in L.A. I was just told Jack is the best mechanic in California so I took an Uber out here.”

“Shit, that’s gotta be an expensive Uber ride,” said Torbjorn, rubbing his bearded chin as he shot a glance behind him at Jack who was trudging along about 20 feet behind them, like they were leading him to the slaughter.

“Yeah, it was, and I’m planning to help out so it’s what I can look forward to until Reaper is back on her wheels,” Gabriel sighed at the thought. He had money saved but he wasn’t made of the stuff, and he had no doubt the cost of these two cars was going to be added to the cost of extensive repairs.

When they got to the house, Torbjorn forced Jack to put out his cigarette before they kicked off their shoes and stepped inside. It was a beautiful house, one that was clearly lived in. But Gabriel liked it, he liked the pictures on the wall of what was clearly a very big family that loved each other. He could smell food wafting from the kitchen and a woman with a deep voice was humming melodiously.

“Ingrid, hope you made enough for two extras,” Torbjorn called.

“Of course, I made plenty as soon as I saw Jack pull up,” she replied. Gabriel followed Torbjorn around the corner and saw that Ingrid was a pretty woman with thick blond hair braided down her back. She was wearing a stained apron and she beamed at all of them as he handed Gabriel a stack of bowls and Jack a stack of plates, “Help set the table, boys!”

“Oh, uh,” Gabriel glanced at Jack who sighed and did as he was told without complaint. Gabriel followed him into the dining room while Torbjorn helped Ingrid in the kitchen.

“Can’t believe you roped us into this. I could have stopped for drive through if you were hungry,” Jack muttered as he laid out the plates.

“Do you know something I don't?” Gabriel asked softly as he set down the bowls. “What, they going to kill us and serve us up?”

“No, they’re nice people,” said Jack, almost grudgingly. “Too nice.”

“How can someone be  _ too nice _ ?” Gabriel asked, leaning on the table so he was close to Jack’s face, looking into his eyes and trying to dive under those placid blue depths to whatever was hiding below.

“Hmm, maybe they ask too many questions,” Jack grit out.

Before Gabriel could respond to that Ingrid and Torbjorn came out with a pot of soup and a plate piled high with grilled cheese sandwiches. He leaned back but made a note to ask about this later. Gabriel sat down with Jack sitting across from him, “Thanks for the meal,” he said as Ingrid filled his bowl with soup and gave him a sandwich.

“We always love to have company,” said Ingrid. “I’d introduce you to our daughter but she’s off picking up a car.”

“It’s an ‘85,” said Torbjorn, “and it has the same body type as yours, Jack so if you need more parts...”

“It’s a 116?” Jack looked up from picking at his sandwich, suddenly interested in the conversation, “does it have a working power steering? I tried to rebuild mine but-”

Gabriel quickly lost the conversation as Jack and Torbjorn talked brass tax about fixing cars.   


Ingrid reached over and covered his hand with hers, “They’ll talk like this forever if you let them,” she said warmly, “so why don’t you tell me about yourself?”

With a mouthful of grilled cheese, Gabriel had to quickly swallow before he could reply. “Not much to tell, ma’am. I’m out of the military and just trying to get back into the swing of civilian life.”

“Oh, how wonderful,” said Ingrid, giving Gabriel’s hand a squeeze before pulling back. “What are you planning to do now?”

Gabriel opened his mouth, but how did he tell this sweet woman he’d spent his time out of the military doing nothing but illegally racing through the hills around L.A.? And when he wasn’t doing that he just microwaved meals and washed his car? This comfortable house was so far away from everything he’d built his life around. So he just shook his head, “Not sure yet, it’s not always easy to... adjust.”

“No, it’s not,” said Ingrid, and for one second her eyes darted to Jack and then away again as she went back to her meal.

Gabriel looked over at Jack, who was arguing with Torbjorn about the proper way to rebuild a power steering system. Was Jack ex-military too? Perhaps, his garage was clean to an anal degree that Gabriel had only ever seen in the military, but he could also just be a slightly unfriendly guy who smoked like a chimney because he liked it. Gabriel barely knew Jack, they’d just met, he didn’t want to make assumptions.

After lunch, and a slice or two of mouthwatering pie, Ingrid packed up the leftovers and put them in a bag for Jack to take home with him, despite his protests. “I know if you don’t take these you’ll just order out,” Ingrid scolded as she shoved the bag of Tupperware into Jack’s arms. “You can return the Tupperware when you come visit next.”

“I could just give them to Brigitte when she delivers the cars-”

“When you come back next time!” Ingrid said, tone brooking no room for argument.

“Yes, ma’am,” Jack muttered.

Gabriel laughed as they got into the car, “Well, she has your number doesn’t she?”

“Would you say no to her?” Jack snapped, dropping the bag in the back seat before climbing up and getting the truck started.

“Oh no, not in a million years,” Gabriel laughed, waving to Torbjorn and Ingrid as Jack drove back down the road lined with tires.

Jack pulled out a cigarette and let out a low groan as he took the first drag, as if not smoking for the hour it took to have lunch had been agony.

“You keep smoking like that and it’ll kill you,” said Gabriel, watching Jack from the corner of his eye.

“You promise?” Jack asked around a mouthful of smoke that swirled around the cab before flowing out the open windows. “No take-backsies.”

“I-” Gabriel frowned, and he got a rare flash of insight into how Jesse and Genji saw him every time he drove recklessly during a race.

“I’m kidding,” Jack said quickly, like there was nothing he dread more than Gabriel getting into it with him. Probably the same feeling Gabriel got every time Jesse or Genji tried to confront him about something.

“Yeah... well, if we can’t work on Reaper until tomorrow I guess I should head home,” said Gabriel, turning to look out the window and let the hot air blow past his face as they bounced their way over the old dirt roads. “But I’ll be back bright and early.”

“Let me drive you back,” said Jack, “so you don’t have to pay out the ass getting home.”

“You sure? You could just work on your car,” Gabriel was delighted by the offer though, it meant that Jack must have liked him at least a little to offer. So climbing that smooth wall had yielded some results, no matter how small.

Jack shrugged, “Where do you live?” He leaned forward and punched Gabriel’s address into his mounted GPS. They turned onto a paved street and Gabriel reached up to touch his sling, the jostling had made his poor arm ache fiercely. He had pills at home but was afraid of taking them. He’d danced with addiction during his first recovery and would rather live with the pain than risk that again. Addiction of any kind, pills or alcohol or anything else, would impact his ability to race and  _ that _ would kill him.

They spent the drive in silence, but Gabriel had a lot to think about anyway. When they hit L.A. traffic, he could see Jack’s knuckles go white on the steering wheel and raised an eyebrow as he watched him, “You know, you could drop me off at the next rest stop and I can take an Uber from there.”

“No,” Jack growled stubbornly, “I said I’d take you home and that’s what I’m going to do.”

“Well, you look like you’re about to bite your cigarette in half...Sunshine,” Gabriel smiled as Jack shot him an indignant look.

“I just don’t like people very much,” Jack muttered, “they’re too loud... too... much.”

“Sometimes,” Gabriel agreed as the traffic crawled bumper-to-bumper around them, “they’re not always like that though.” He thought about the crowds that gathered around the races, all cheering for him, telling him how good he was, how beautiful Reaper was. Or how Jesse and Genji crowded around him and talked to him about all their kid stuff and reminded Gabriel about what real life was.

“Take your word for it.” He rested his elbow on the edge of the window and Gabriel took the time to stare some more while Jack was glaring at the cars ahead of them. Such a classically handsome man; Gabriel wanted to cup that strong jaw in his hands and kiss him, even knowing the guy probably tasted like an ashtray. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed this feeling of desire...but who knew if Jack would reciprocate.

Finally they crawled their way off the freeway and onto the side streets. Jack pulled over in front of Gabriel’s apartment building and turned to look at him, “So... see you tomorrow?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” said Gabriel honestly, daring to reach over and squeeze Jack’s wrist. “Looking forward to working with you.” Far more than he’d care to admit. That thrill of danger radiated off Jack, Gabriel found it intoxicating. He stepped out of the car and shut the door, standing on the sidewalk as he watched Jack drive off and turn the corner. He wondered idly how Genji even knew about him.

Gabriel headed inside and pulled out his phone, sending Jesse a picture of that stupid cowgirl car.

**Gabriel Reyes 4:32 PM**

_ Your ride is here _

**Jesse McCree 4:33 PM**

_ Haha fuk u _

Gabriel sat down on the couch, looking around his messy apartment and thinking about how empty it seemed compared to Torbjorn and Ingrid’s house, with all their mementos and pictures. What kind of life was this? With Reaper gone, it made him uncomfortably aware of how empty his life was without her. He just wanted her back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're enjoying everything so far!
> 
> Comments and kudos very much appreciated! See you all next Sunday!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel learns more about Jack through the power of argument

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Sunday! Here's your chapter, hot off the presses!  
> I would love love love to hear what people are thinking so far so please, if you can, leave me a comment!  
> Next week we reach the halfway point so I'll see you all then!
> 
> Tumblr: [ohgodsalazarwhy](https://ohgodsalazarwhy.tumblr.com/)  
> Twitter:[ NoviceSalazar](https://twitter.com/NoviceSalazar)

Gabriel slept like shit that night, his mistakes haunting him. He’d call them nightmares but they were just awful memories that played again and again, reminding him of every terrible mistake he’d ever made and all the men he’d led to their deaths. How could he sleep when every minute it felt like he was jerking awake to the whistling of mortar?

Gabriel gave up at about 4am, dragging himself out of bed and taking off his sling so he could take a very careful shower. He thanked God for his 3D printed cast as the hot water washed over him. Once more he dressed in shorts and a tank, it was the easiest thing to wear. Besides, he’d be in a garage today.

Then he made coffee, which he drank right out of the pot at his little kitchen table. He scrolled idly through his phone, killing time until he could go to Jack’s garage. At least when he was with Jack he didn’t feel fucked up and broken. Guy took his mind off this awful silence. Gabriel couldn’t wait any longer, he had to get out of this house before he went crazy! He ordered his Uber and sat on the curb to wait for it. The early morning air was cool against his skin, and though most people were still asleep the city was waking up around him with the sound of car doors slamming and traffic building.

**Gabriel Reyes 6:45 AM**

_ Are you up? _

**Jack Morrison 6:47 AM**

_ I am now. _

**Gabriel Reyes 6:47 AM**

_ Shit did I wake you up? _

Gabriel felt a little guilty but not  _ that _ guilty... he was excited to get started and wanted Jack up and ready for him when he arrived.

**Jack Morrison 6:50 AM**

_ It’s fine, I wasn’t actually asleep. You on your way? _

Gabriel stood up as his Uber arrived and slid into the backseat. He held up his phone and snapped a selfie, giving Jack the peace-sign against his chest and a grin to send along with his next text.

**Gabriel Reyes 6:52 AM**

_ I just got into my Uber. _

There was a long enough break in texts that Gabriel slipped his phone into his pocket and leaned back to shut his eyes. Maybe he could nap on the drive to Jack’s place. God knew he needed it after these last several shitty nights. Before he could slip into more than a light doze his phone buzzed in his pocket. Gabriel pulled the phone out and nearly choked to see the picture Jack had sent in return; he stood in a slightly foggy bathroom, towel slung low around his waist as he held his phone up to the mirror. Fresh out of the shower, looking good enough to eat.   


**Jack Morrison 7:12 AM**

_ Ready for you. _

Oh God did this guy even know what he was doing to Gabriel when he sent a photo like that? With a message  _ like that _ ? Gabriel let out a shaky breath as he stared at the picture, double tapping it so he could zoom in on Jack. Guy was covered in drops of water, his blond hair a mess on his head. His towel was so low that Gabriel could see more blond hair disappearing into it, so pale it was nearly invisible against his skin. Then there were his muscles... he had nice flat abs and a strong, broad chest and shoulders that tapered into slim hips. Should he reply?

_ I’m ready for you, too _

No.

_ Holy shit I want to fuck your brains out _

Definitely not.

_ I want to lick the water right off you _

Gabriel groaned and shoved his phone into his pocket, throwing his arm over his eyes. All he could see was Jack, naked except for a towel. Gabriel would pin him against the counter and let that towel fall as he turned him around and grabbed him by the hair to force him to watch himself get fucked in the mirror. Gabriel shifted uncomfortably as he quickly tried to think about something else before he tented his basketball shorts and got banned from all future Uber rides.

Jack was standing on his front porch in a tight pair of jeans and a tank top as he drank a cup of coffee and smoked a cigarette. “Had breakfast yet?” he asked as Gabriel walked past the garage and up the stone pathway to the porch.

“Not yet,” said Gabriel, trying not to stare at the way the tank and jeans fit Jack so perfectly. "Why? You going to make me something?”

Jack snorted into his mug, “No, but I still have those leftovers I could heat up.”

Gabriel would eat dog food if it meant he’d get invited into Jack’s house. “Then lead the way.”

Jack nodded and put his cigarette out in an overflowing ashtray before leading the way into his house. Gabriel took a deep breath, expecting to smell cigarettes but the house smelled... clean. Fresh, even. Jack reeked, of course, but the house didn’t. The walls were pure white and empty of any and all decoration. Jack walked down a long hallway which branched out to a living room on the left, straight ahead was the dining room and kitchen. He had no personal effects anywhere, though Gabriel thought he spied a sword mounted over the fireplace in the living room before Jack led him into the kitchen. Just like the garage everything was neatly organized and meticulously clean. It looked like a show house, not a house a chronic smoker and mechanic lived in. Gabriel leaned against the doorway to the kitchen as Jack bent over to pull the food out of the fridge.   


“Want something to drink?” he asked, sliding the food into his microwave.

“What you got?” Gabriel was a little busy staring at his ass in those jeans. He glanced up as Jack opened up the cabinet only to raise his eyebrow at the sight of all the liquor stocked up there. Most of it looked... well loved, to say the least. Jack pulled down a nearly empty bottle of Baileys and added it to a fresh cup of coffee.

“Water, coffee, milk...” Jack wiggled the bottle, “alcohol.”

“Er, I’ll pass on the 10am drinking,” said Gabriel slowly, “coffee is fine.”

Jack shrugged and capped the bottle before pulling out another mug and filling it up for Gabriel, “You’ll change your mind when you’re elbows deep in a junked out car.”

“Does being drunk make it easier to work?” Gabriel asked, sipping his coffee and finding it deliciously strong.

“I’m not drunk,” Jack snapped, pulling out a bowl of soup and a sandwich from the microwave and handing them to Gabriel, who had to set his coffee down on the round wooden dining room table behind him before taking them. “I just... I don’t have to justify myself to you.”

Okay... so this was a sore spot. Gabriel sat down and took a sip of hot soup, “Hey, I’m not judging. Cool down, Sunshine.”

“Sorry,” said Jack grudgingly, sitting across from him and starting to eat.

“So, when is, uh, Brigitte, stopping by?”   


“Hmm, should be soon enough. She’s good about making deliveries promptly.”

Gabriel finished his food and sat back to nurse his coffee and glance around. “You know, I was expecting your house to smell a lot more... well, a lot more.”

“I don’t smoke in the house,” Jack grunted between bites, “it’d ruin any potential resale value.”

“Oh,” suddenly it made sense why the place was so empty and lifeless, “you’re trying to sell?”

“No,” Jack looked at him like he was crazy, “I said  _ potential _ value.”

Gabriel huffed over his coffee, “Has anyone ever told you you’re like a human cactus?”

“No, I’m not,” said Jack defensively. "People like me.”

Gabriel laughed a little, he thought that wounded look on Jack’s face was awfully cute, at least it was an expression. “I mean,  _ I _ like you well enough. Torbjorn seems to put up with you... Why didn’t you want to have lunch with them yesterday?”

Jack bit down on his bottom lip, tongue darting out to slide along over the bite right after. It was like he didn’t know what to do with his mouth if he wasn’t sucking on something. Gabriel would be happy to give him something to suck on. “They’re too nice, it’s awkward,” he said after a bit.

“You said something about that yesterday,” Gabriel set his empty mug down and stared Jack down, “Are you sure--”   


Outside tires crunched against gravel and Jack was out of his chair so fast that Gabriel had to just sit there in shock for a second, mouth still open to speak. He rubbed his hand over his face and got up, following him out the front door. There was a massive flatbed tow truck that had a Shelby on the bed and another dragging along behind it by a chain. Jack was already lighting a cigarette as he walked out to greet the woman who hopped out of the cab.   


“Jackie!” she crowed at the sight of him. She had a cute face, Gabriel could see the family resemblance. Her red hair was tied up into a high ponytail and, though it was early in the morning, she already had some oil and dirt stains on her face and hands.

“Could you set these down beside the garage,” said Jack, blowing smoke out his nose as he pointed to where he wanted them.

Brigitte didn’t seem to be in much of a rush though, her eyes wandered from Jack to Gabriel and went wide with obvious delight. “Who’re you?” She had a sweet little accent just like her parents.

“He’s just helping out,” Jack grunted before Gabriel could reply. He looked a little defensive with his hands stuffed into his pockets and shoulders raised like a cat trying to scare a dog out of its alley, “we’re working on his car.”

“I’m Gabriel Reyes,” said Gabriel, pushing past Jack to hold out his hand, “you must be Brigitte.”

“Guilty as charged! Papa told me to deliver these early but I’m always looking for an excuse to bother Jackie,” she elbowed Jack with a smile and he stumbled back a step at the strength of the hit.   


Gabriel grinned and took the excuse to reach up and put a hand on his back under the guise of supporting him, “I’m sure he loves it.".

“Overjoyed,” Jack grit out around his cigarette.

Gabriel slid his hand up Jack’s back to lightly cup the back of his neck, “You know what I said about being a human cactus?” he said quietly as Brigitte jumped back into her truck to drop the cars off beside the garage.

Jack’s pale face was a little flushed as he turned his head to look at Gabriel, they were... a lot closer than he’d realized; Jack’s skin was warm and smooth under his hand. “What do you even care?”

He didn’t have a good answer for that. Jack pulled away from his grip and flicked away his cigarette butt before pulling out a fresh one and lighting it. Gabriel stood back and watched as Jack guided Brigitte, cigarette pinched between two fingers as he gestured exactly where he wanted the cars placed.

Fuck he was so gorgeous... and so prickly. Gabriel took a deep breath and wandered over just as Brigitte was getting the bed of her truck righted after sliding the last car off it.

“--Mama said she is making stew tonight for dinner if you want to join us.”

“No, thanks,” said Jack, glancing over as Gabriel came up beside him. He narrowed his eyes in warning, as if daring Gabriel to force him to go to dinner, “we’ll be busy.”

He wouldn’t push, he gave Brigitte a shrug, “You heard the Boss.”

Jack relaxed a little. It made Gabriel wonder just how stressed he was at the thought of eating dinner with the Lindholms.   


Brigitte didn’t seem too put out, grinning as she climbed back into her truck. The side said Wilhelm Towing in faded and peeling letters, “Next time!” she said cheerfully. The tow truck rumbled off down the road, leaving Gabriel standing beside Jack in silence. If Jack didn’t want to be around the Lindholms... why the hell did he let Gabriel hang around?

“Well... let’s get to work,” said Jack, walking into the garage. "We’re going to gut your car first and rip the engine out of her, see what we have left when she’s taken apart.”

Gabriel groaned, “Is there a better way to put that?” as he followed Jack into the shade of the garage.

“We’re gonna rip her apart,” said Jack, grabbing a wrench and opening the driver’s door. He kneeled down on the concrete and started to take the seat out.

“We’re  _ fixing _ her,” Gabriel insisted, hovering beside Jack as he worked.

“By tearing her apart,” said Jack, and Gabriel realized he was grinning around his cigarette.

“Has anyone ever told you you’re a bastard?” Gabriel carefully squat down next to Jack, letting their shoulders brush. He had to put his hand on the side of Reaper to keep from falling over, he was sure his broken arm wouldn’t thank him for that.

“Mmm, maybe once or twice,” said Jack, grunting as he fought with a particularly stubborn nut under the seat.

“A week?”

Jack threw back his head and laughed, and it made Gabriel’s heart stop in his chest. He wanted this man. He wanted to dive into him and learn what made him tick, wanted to kiss him and taste the smoke on his tongue, and he wanted to make him smile more because it lit him up like the sun itself. Gabriel realized he was leaning in too close when Jack sat up and turned to look at him and their noses brushed. He jerked back and laughed a bit shakily, rubbing the hair on his chin.

“Sorry, was trying to see what you were doing,” he lied quickly.

Those blue eyes stared right through him, for long enough that Gabriel had to fight the instinct to squirm. He was an adult, a soldier, for godsake. Not some blushing virgin high school boy. Jack then nodded and wrapped one arm over Gabriel’s shoulders and scooted to the side, urging Gabriel to lean into his space as he bent back over.

“See these? I have to undo the nuts and--”

Gabriel wasn’t listening, he didn’t care how a seat was taken out of a car. He cared about how warm Jack was, how strong his hand was as it curled around the curve of his shoulder, the perpetual smell of smoke that surrounded him. Gabriel only had to turn his head and he could bury his face in Jack’s neck. He wondered if he could smell anything but cigarettes on him; and if he could, if it would be right behind his ear.

“--understand what I’m doing now?”

Gabriel blinked, his eyes had been on Jack’s lips but hadn’t been paying much attention to what they’d been saying. “Yeah, thanks,” he said a little hoarsely, wishing he hadn’t been too lazy to put on a pair of jeans. At least if he got hard in those it’d be less obvious.

Jack gave him a look like he  _ knew _ Gabriel was lying but he gave him a pat on the back before leaning back into the car. “So... how did you damage her so bad?”

“There was a storm,” said Gabriel, “I lost control and spun out into a tree.”

“With this amount of damage, you would've had to have been going pretty fast,” Jack set the wrench down and stood up, wrapping his arms around the chair and hauling it out of the car to set against a nearby wall. Gabriel stood up but had to lean heavily on Reaper as his head spun. Okay, should have done that more carefully.

“Hey, you alright?” Jack came back and slid his hand over Gabriel’s lower back, a touch that seemed just a little more than concerned but not obvious enough to do anything about.

“Just... I get dizzy spells sometimes, I’m fine,” said Gabriel, closing his eyes and waiting for it to pass, “hit my head pretty hard during the accident.”

“Hmmm,” Jack hummed, “you didn’t tell me why you were in such a hurry during a storm.”

“The fact that you keep asking makes me think you already have some idea,” said Gabriel, opening his eyes to see Jack blowing out a cloud of smoke. The look on his face told Gabriel all he needed to know about how Jack felt about the conclusion he’d come to.

“Based on the car... I have some idea,” said Jack slowly, “I just want it confirmed.”

“I street race,” Gabriel said a bit sharply, and Jack’s face scrunched up in disapproval, “what are you, a narc?”

“So you were racing recklessly through the hills during a rainstorm? You know street racing is illegal? What if someone was driving on that road?” Oh great, now he was getting the lecture.   


Gabriel rolled his eyes, “Sorry, Mom.”

“What other illegal shit are you into?” Jack asked, jabbing his finger against Gabriel’s shoulder.

Gabriel grabbed his hand, holding it by the wrist as he yanked Jack’s hand back and pinned it against the top of car, “Don’t poke me, Jackie-boy,” he growled, immediately interested in the flush that was crawling up Jack’s neck. “I’m not in a gang, if that’s what you’re asking. I race and I bet on races. If we want to get judgemental, maybe we can talk about the coffee you had this morning.”

“You give other vets a bad name,” Jack snapped, wrenching out of Gabriel’s hold and moving around the car while rubbing his wrist. "You’re going to get someone killed if you don’t kill yourself first.”

“Other vets,” Gabriel scoffed, “I don’t really give a shit, and I don’t think you do either. What were you?” Gabriel looked Jack up and down, his hand splayed on the top of Reaper as they stood across from each other. “Navy,” he guessed.

Jack glared at him.

“Army? You look like an army guy, don’t you? A little toy soldier.”

“Shut up,” Jack snarled, pulling out his cigarette and flicking it onto the ground, “I’ll bet you were a pencil pusher in the Air Force, you miss sitting on your ass.” Jack’s voice was like gravel when he was angry, and as furious as Gabriel was at the insult he could appreciate how goddamn sexy that voice was. If anything, it just made him angrier.

“Oh wait, I’ve got it,” said Gabriel, slowly stalking around the front of Reaper, “you’re a  _ Marine _ . Hoo-rah! So far up your own ass with self-importance you haven’t seen daylight in years.” Jack’s expression froze up before his lips curled in a furious snarl and Gabriel knew he’d hit the nail on the head.   


“And what the hell are you?” Jack asked through grit teeth, hands clenched into fists at his side. Gabriel got the distinct impression that the only reason Jack hadn’t taken a swing at him was because of his broken arm.

“Army Captain,” said Gabriel, now only inches away from Jack’s face, “I was a good little toy soldier. I did my duty... and now I’m going to race and you’re not going to give me shit about it. You don’t want me to run you down? Stay off the road.”

“I can think of faster ways to kill yourself,” Jack growled, not backing down even an inch, until they were breathing each other's air and Gabriel felt like he could taste Jack on his tongue. Smoke and nicotine.   


Gabriel reached into Jack’s back pocket and pulled out one of his cigarettes, placing it between Jack’s pretty lips and savoring the look of surprise that flickered through the anger, “I could say the same thing to you, Sunshine.” The thrill was pulsing through him, making his heart beat faster and his focus narrow until all he could see was Jack’s gorgeous face, tracing the start of lines around his lips and on his forehead. Frown and scowl lines.

A brief standoff where Gabriel wondered if this was going to end with them kissing or fighting...and he wasn’t sure which one he wanted more. He’d been spoiling for a fight for months; maybe that was why he’d needle Jesse and Genji. Maybe that was why he felt the need to press Jack’s buttons. Gabriel didn’t care that he had a healing fractured skull and a broken arm.

It ended with neither. Jack took a step back and lit his cigarette with a shaking hand, “Look... sorry about... this. It’s none of my business what you do with the car as long as you’re paying I’ll fix it.”

Just like that it was as if fog had dispersed and he felt stupid and exposed in the light. What the hell was his problem?

“I’m sorry too,” said Gabriel, trying to get his heart to slow down. He took a few steps back to resist the urge to cup Jack’s face and kiss him stupid. “Didn’t mean to insult your service.”

Jack took a deep drag and blew it all out in one long breath, “Nah, it doesn’t mean anything to me. Not anymore.” He opened the passenger seat door, with a little bit of effort, and got down on his knees to start taking that seat out.

“How long did you serve?” Gabriel asked quietly.

“A decade,” Jack said, voice a little muffled as he worked, “you?”

“Same,” Gabriel murmured. "Joined right out of high school, it was everything I’ve ever known.” What kind of life would he have now if he’d done what his Abuelita wanted and gone to college? Maybe he could have been a doctor, or a lawyer. He couldn’t picture it. Gabriel couldn’t imagine any other life than the one he’d lived, as horrifying and haunting as it was. He belatedly realized Jack was staring up at him.

“I joined right out of high school too,” Jack said slowly, there was something a little mechanical about the way he jerked his head back around to get to work, “I was discharged a year ago.”

“8 months ago,” Gabriel replied, throat feeling a little tight with a feeling he couldn’t quite pin down.

Jack sat back on his haunches with a sigh before getting up and grabbing the seat to pull it out and place it by the other, “Do you wish you were still there?”

“No,” said Gabriel quickly. Maybe too quickly.

“Me either,” said Jack softly, looking at the seat as he brushed one hand over the leather headrest. He looked back over at Gabriel, “You know, I knew the minute I saw you what you were.”

“That why you don’t mind being around me?” Gabriel asked.

“Maybe,” said Jack, walking slowly back over and slipping past Gabriel to open the backseat. "Maybe it’s nice to be around someone you don’t have to... pretend around.”

“Doing a lot of pretending, Sunshine?” Gabriel reached down to brush his fingers over the back of Jack’s neck as the man bent over the backseat. What a delicious position for him to be in... Gabriel felt Jack shiver under his touch and had to pull his hand away before he curled his fingers all the way around Jack’s throat.

“Just that everything is okay,” Jack muttered, so quietly that Gabriel almost didn’t hear him.

Yeah... it kind of was nice, Gabriel sighed and then took a deep breath of the smoke that was wafting up from Jack, “If it’s any consolation, I don’t think either of us are very good at it.”

Jack huffed and sat back on his heels, stabilizing himself with a hand on Gabriel’s thigh, “Shut up, Reyes... Go get me a size 10 socket and ratchet.”

Gabriel reluctantly pulled away, he wanted that hand to slide up a little and--fuck he had it bad. Almost coming to blows just made him want Jack more. Every little bit of information Gabriel got out of him was like squeezing a stone, but it was so worth the effort. They stayed away from heavy topics for the rest of the day, actually, Jack did very little talking after that; just concentrating on  _ gutting _ poor Reaper and ordering Gabriel to get him this or that to help with it.

“Want me to drive you home again?” Jack asked at the end of the day, wiping his filthy hands off on an equally filthy rag.

“As fun as it is to watch you have a panic attack in L.A. traffic, I think I’ll take an Uber,” said Gabriel. "But... I’ll be back tomorrow...?”

Jack pulled out his cigarette and let out a long, slow breath, looking at Gabriel from under his long, golden lashes, “I’m counting on it.”

Gabriel licked his lips, hand clenching at his side as he forced himself not to dart forward and haul Jack into a violent kiss. No, that would be a great way to end this forever and get a punch in the face for good measure. Jack gave him a sly, wicked smile. Nearly a sneer, as if he could read Gabriel’s mind and was calling him a  _ coward _ . Gabriel was reading into this too much. He gave Jack a strained goodbye and instead of waiting for the Uber at the garage, walked down the road a ways before ordering it. He had to escape those eyes.

It took ages for the Uber to show up, and Gabriel slid in with a sigh of relief as the air conditioning blasted him in the face. Just then his phone buzzed and Gabriel hoped it might be another shirtless picture from Jack, but it was just a message from Jesse.

**Jesse McCree 7:45 PM**

_ R u home? _

**Gabriel Reyes 7:45 PM**

_ I’m heading home now, why? _

**Jesse McCree 7:46 PM**

_ Where r u now? _

**Gabriel Reyes 7:47 PM**

_ Does it matter? What do you want? _

**Jesse McCree 7:50 PM**

_ Can I come over?   
_

Gabriel sighed and dropped his phone on the seat as he rubbed his hand over his face; did he really have the energy to deal with some excitable kid? He had grown-up problems to worry about. Picking the phone back up, he tapped out his reply.

**Gabriel Reyes 8:00 PM**

_ I’m pretty tired after today, maybe some other time. _

**Jesse McCree 8:30 PM**

_ k _

His apartment seemed more shabby and lonely and miserable every time he walked into it. He kicked aside some garbage as he shuffled into the kitchen, clearing empty containers full of crusted food by just pushing them to the side. Gabriel shoved a pot pie into the microwave, scrolling his phone while he waited for it to cook. He kept thinking about what Jack had said, about  _ pretending _ . The longer he went without Reaper, the harder it was getting to pretend...and was that all racing was to him? A band-aid? An excuse not to look too closely at himself? An elaborate suicide?   


Oh fuck, he just needed some sleep.   


Gabriel pulled the steaming pie out of the microwave but it tasted like ash in his mouth. Well, if he couldn’t eat he should probably just head to bed before he thought himself into a spiral. Gabriel dropped the mostly uneaten pie on the counter and trudged into the bedroom, stripping naked before collapsing over the sheets; he was asleep in seconds.

At least until the nightmares woke him up.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel gets a little closer to Jack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm currently in a Starbucks in the middle of buttfuck nowhere to upload this because I love you guys so much. There's a special treat in this chapter by the incomparable GIZA!
> 
> Here is their [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/gizaartworks/) and their [AO3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gizah/pseuds/gizah)
> 
> Comments and kudos are much appreciated, enjoy and I'll see you all next Sunday! We're at the halfway point!
> 
> Tumblr: [ohgodsalazarwhy](https://ohgodsalazarwhy.tumblr.com/)  
> Twitter:[ NoviceSalazar](https://twitter.com/NoviceSalazar)

For the first time in months, Gabriel wanted a drink. He sat at his little table and scraped his palm over the stubble on his jaw and knew he needed to get up and trim his beard back into a presentable shape; but nothing sounded better in this moment than sitting at the kitchen table and staring blankly at the wall. Maybe Jack would offer some of that alcoholic coffee if Gabriel asked for it.

“You’re a goddamn mess,” Gabriel groaned, letting his head fall into his hand.

Needling Jack had worked up all kinds of shit Gabriel thought he’d settled months ago. It was like silt at the bottom of a lake and he’d gone and stepped in it, sending everything flying up and dirtying the previously clear water. He sighed and tipped his chair back to grab his phone, finding a message from Genji, which was rare.

**Genji Shimada 1:20 AM**

_ Jesse in hospital _

Gabriel nearly fell out of his chair, getting to his feet so fast he knocked it onto the floor with a loud clatter. He ripped the phone and charging cord free to text back shakily.

**Gabriel Reyes 4:50 AM**

_ WJAT? WHERE _

He chewed his lip as he waited, pacing restlessly back and forth through his tiny kitchen as the minutes ticked by. Suddenly he wondered why Jesse had wanted to come over last night, had he been trying to escape and Gabriel had just callously turned him away? Wasn’t he supposed to be the adult, the responsible one? Genji and Jesse were just kids!

**Genji Shimada 5:15 AM**

_ General Rm 504   
_

Gabriel ordered an Uber and quickly dressed in the same clothes he’d worn yesterday. They were dusty and oily from Jack’s garage but Gabriel didn’t want to take the time to pull out clean clothes. By the time he got outside the Uber was just pulling up and Gabriel threw himself in the back, quickly texting Genji back.

**Gabriel Reyes 5:25 AM**

_ What happened? Is he going to be okay? _

**Genji Shimada 5:26 AM**

_ He will b ok, explain when u get here _

Gabriel let out a long breath and sagged in his seat, head falling back. Jesse was going to be okay, that was what mattered. General Hospital towered over him as the Uber pulled up and Gabriel rushed in, dodging past people waiting to be seen and gurneys carrying patients as he made his way to the fifth floor. He probably should have checked in, but he’d learned a long time ago that looking busy kept people from asking too many questions.

He burst into room 504, seeing Genji sitting by Jesse’s bed. They both jumped as Gabriel arrived and Genji wrinkled his nose, “Have you started smoking?”

“What? No, Jack--never mind that, Jesse what the hell happened!?” Gabriel grabbed a nearby chair and sat down by Jesse’s bed. He looked pale, his hair greasy and limp against his head. He just... looked exhausted. However he was clearly feeling good enough to give Gabriel a wane smile.

“No need to freak out, partner,” said Jesse, “everything is going to be fine.”

“There was a big Deadlock fight against the Shimadas and Jesse was stabbed,” said Genji, reaching out to squeeze Jesse’s wrist.

“Fuck,” Gabriel swore, leaning forward on his elbow, “so when you texted me last night-?”

“Well, I just thought it might be a good idea to lay low, I was afraid I’d come face to face with Genji and didn’t wanna...” when Gabriel cursed and pinched the bridge of his nose Jesse reached out to pull his hand away from his face, “hey, no, it’s fine. It ain’t yer job to get involved with this shit. I shouldn’t have asked in the first place.”

“Well maybe you shouldn’t be getting involved with this shit either,” said Gabriel, standing up to pace around the little room, “I’ve told you again and again you need to leave this gang shit before it kills you!”

“It’s not that easy--” Genji started defensively.

“It  _ is _ that easy!” Gabriel snapped, “and I can’t believe you’re making excuses after watching your brother’s gang stab your best friend!”

“Hey, it ain't Genji’s fault,” Jesse muttered, “Deadlock and the Shimadas--”

“Fuck! Off!” Gabriel snarled, now that he wasn’t scared he was angry, “how much more is it going to take before you leave? Am I going to have to be the one to lower your little kid caskets into the ground?!”

“We’re not kids!” Jesse said, trying to sit up only to hiss and have Genji push him down. “Goddammit, Reyes--”

That was when a nurse decided to see what the racket was about and both Gabriel and Genji found themselves kicked out until visiting hours started proper. In the parking lot, Genji picked up a rock and angrily chucked it at a parked car. “This is your fault,” he growled, “if you’d just kept quiet.”

“How am I supposed to keep quiet when you two can’t stay out of trouble?” Gabriel asked, grabbing Genji’s wrist before he could throw another rock. “Hanzo isn’t going to stop until Deadlock is crushed and your family regains control, is that what you want? You want to see Jesse dead?”

“No!” Genji wrenched away, turning his back on Gabriel with his shoulders hunched up defensively, “it’s just not that simple. I’m a Shimada, that’s my family. Jesse founded Deadlock with Ashe, that’s  _ his _ family.”

Gabriel got his phone out of his pocket to check the time and noticed he’d gotten a text from Jack.

**Jack Morrison 6:00 AM**

_ Are you on your way? _

He sighed as he stared at the message and then tucked his phone away, “Sometimes we have to make our own families, kid, and you’ll have a lot of families through your lifetime. My squad was my family once, then racing was my family.”

“You planning on giving up racing?” Genji asked without turning around.

“What? No, that’s not my point--”

“Then I think you should stop throwing stones in your glass house, Reyes.”

Gabriel threw up his hand in defeat, “You know what? Fine, you two make as many stupid mistakes as you want, I’ve got shit to do today.”

It meant he was in an awful mood by the time he got to Jack’s house. He hadn’t even sent him a text letting him he was on his way. Gabriel got out of the Uber and stormed up to the front door, knocking sharply.

“I thought you might have chickened ou--” Gabriel must have looked worse than he thought because Jack froze mid-sentence and his coffee halfway to his lips. He grabbed Jack’s cup and downed it in two gulps before he pushed past him and into the house.

“Uhg, have you thought of watering that Baileys down with some coffee?” Gabriel heard Jack shut door and follow him into the kitchen as he opened the liquor cabinet and reached up to grab the first thing he saw.

“Whoa, hey, what the hell is wrong with you?” Jack asked, grabbing Gabriel by the shoulder and spinning him around before he could grab anything.

Jack didn’t look that great either, he had dark circles under his eyes and a sort of nervous aire about him. Gabriel shrugged his hand off and gently pushed him back with a hand to his chest, “you offered me a drink yesterday and I want to take you up on it. I just... slept like shit and there’s some stuff going on with some kids I know...”

“Do you want to... talk about it...” Jack asked, looking like he’d rather eat glass than do just that.

Gabriel shook his head and turned back around to grab the whiskey, giving it a little wiggle in front of Jack’s face, “No talking, just drinking and working.”

“Yeah...okay,” said Jack slowly, mechanically refilling his cup of coffee and Baileys as Gabriel sat down at the dining room table and drank the whiskey straight from the bottle. Tasted like shit, and didn’t make him feel that great on an empty stomach. Jack sat across from him almost cautiously, sipping his coffee as he stared at Gabriel over the rim. “So I was thinking we would--”

Gabriel slammed the bottle down on the table with a BANG that made Jack nearly jump out of his chair and spill a little coffee over his shirt, “Kids are so stupid! They don’t take good advice seriously! Why should I even care? Huh? They can make their own dumb choices, I don’t care--”

“You--”

“I. Don’t. Care.” Gabriel jabbed his finger into the table with every word, “I don’t fucking care!” Jack pursed his lips and sipped his drink, he was glaring now but Gabriel couldn’t stop himself. “Jesse and Genji will either have to figure out their shit or die. That’s their decision, right?”

“Genji Shimada?”

“He’s the one who gave me your card,” said Gabriel, taking another drink of whiskey, but the more he drank the more he thought maybe it wasn’t actually a good idea. He set the bottle down and pushed it away, “how do you know him?”

“We go to the same therapist,” said Jack curtly, talking right into his mug.

“ _ You _ go to therapy?” Gabriel goggled, sitting forward in his seat and accidentally bumping his arm against the table, “Ow!”

“Why do you sound so surprised?” Jack asked, disgruntled.

“I dunno,” He gestured at just...all of Jack. Gabriel had almost felt put together compared to him but now he was learning that Jack went to therapy? If anything that just told him it wasn’t worth it, it didn’t seem to be working out for Jack.

Jack glowered and stood up, stalking for the door, “Fuck you.”

“Hey!” Gabriel shot up to follow him, holding his arm as he ran after him and out into the sun, “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“What could you have possibly meant?” Jack snapped over his shoulder, walking into the garage and setting his mug down on a workbench. He reached into his back pocket and quickly pulled out a cigarette, lighting it and taking a deep drag.

“Just that it’s a waste of time, I didn’t see you trying it,” said Gabriel, great, he’d fought with Jesse and Genji and now he was picking fights with Jack. That wasn’t what he wanted to do. He reached out and grabbed Jack’s wrist, “Come on, Sunshine, I’m sorry. Just had a bad morning.”

“Uhg,” Jack pulled away and walked over to Reaper, rubbing his wrist as he looked down into her ruined engine, “so, what? You want to make my morning miserable too?”

Gabriel let out a sound of exasperation, dragging his hand down his face, “No! I- I’m really sorry, okay? I wasn’t thinking, it was a rude thing to say.”

Jack rolled his cigarette from one corner of his lips to the other, he seemed to be having some sort of internal argument. Gabriel waited with baited breath, hoping that argument wouldn’t end with him deciding to just kick him to the curb. He wasn’t sure he could handle losing whatever this was so soon. Jack let out a long sigh, smoke pouring out at the same time and seemed to force himself to relax.   


“Fine. Whatever. Just help me get this engine out.”

Gabriel let out his breath all at once, what the hell was wrong with him? He  _ liked _ Jack, and there was no way he’d let Gabriel get close if all they did was fight. It was just because Gabriel wanted to chase the danger, and he didn’t know how to stop. He fetched tools in silence, letting Jack’s secondhand smoke soothe him.

“Can we really not save any part of this engine?” Gabriel asked as Jack hooked chains up to the engine to lift it out with a big hoist. He was clutching a wrench tightly in his hand as he watched, his hands stained with secondhand grease and oil from taking tools from Jack’s filthy hands. He never seemed to want to wear gloves.

“I’ll go through it,” Jack grunted as he pulled back to pump a lever on the hoist which then pumped the arm of the hoist up and lifted the engine up bit by bit. The chains clinked and the engine swayed gently as Jack pushed the arm of the hoist and then rolled the entire thing into the corner of the garage before setting the engine down and unhooking it. “I’ll try to salvage what I can of her original stuff.”

Gabriel stood beside Jack as he shut the hood, “What do we do from here?”

“Oh, we still have a ways to go before we can pull the body off the frame,” said Jack, turning around and sitting on the hood with his legs spread as his heels rest on the bumper. “What are you going to do if you just crash her into another tree?”

Gabriel opened his mouth to say  _ die with her, _ but it wasn’t a very funny joke considered how true it felt in his heart, “Uh, I’ll be more careful.”

“Right-” Jack leaned back on his hands, and Gabriel couldn’t help but stare, he looked like he was begging to be fucked, his jeans were clinging to his thighs and his shirt had rode up his flat stomach, “-I’ll be sure to attend your very careful funeral.”

Gabriel took a step closer, dropping the wrench he’d been holding with a loud clatter, “I didn’t fucking say anything about dying,” he said, and the thrill was starting, the one that told him he could get what he needed from Jack, that high he craved to make it through the day. It made him want to fight or fuck or race or anything that would get his heart beating and stop him from feeling like he was already six feet under.

Jack shifted his weight to one hand to pull the cigarette out from between his lips, there was something about his gaze... it drew Gabriel in another step until he was bracketed by Jack’s thighs. “Something on your mind?” Jack asked, voice husky.

Gabriel reached forward to delicately pluck the cigarette from Jack’s stained fingers and take a long drag. It had been years since he’d had one, but it still went down smooth as he held his breath and flicked away the remaining butt. Jack’s pupils were blown as he watched and Gabriel felt powerful in that moment, blowing the smoke into his face and watching those pretty eyes flutter shut and his lips part as if he could suck in the smoke as it curled and teased over his face.

(art by Giza)

There was a pregnant pause as Gabriel leaned over Jack, his hand on the hood as their foreheads pressed together. They were balanced perfectly in the middle of a seesaw, one step forward or one step back and that would be it. Gabriel wasn’t sure who moved first, it was probably him, but their lips crashed together in a hard, desperate kiss. He lifted his hand to cup the back of Jack’s neck, fingers digging into his skin as he forced Jack’s head back and parted his lips with his tongue. Gabriel took what he wanted, tasting every bitter cigarette on Jack’s lips and craving more.   


Jack moaned, a small, almost broken sound as he seemed to melt under Gabriel, letting him do as he pleased. “You like this?” Gabriel breathed between hard kisses, blunt nails leaving indents in the side of Jack’s neck, “like losing control and letting me take over?”

“You’re such a bastard,” Jack whispered, voice cracking as Gabriel sank his teeth into his neck.

It wasn’t a no. Gabriel smiled and pulled back, but only to grab Jack by the hair and twist him around, slamming his cheek into the hood of the car so he was bent over with Gabriel grinding his swelling cock against his ass. Jack let out a whimper, hands grasping at the smooth hood and finding no traction.

“Y-you have a broken arm wh-what are you going to do?” Jack taunted weakly.

“Tell you to stay in this position or face the consequences,” Gabriel growled, bending down so his breath brushed over Jack’s ear. He finally did what he’d been wanting to do since meeting him, Gabriel took a deep breath behind Jack’s ear, teeth coming out to nip at the delicate shell and tug the lobe. He smelled like smoke and sweat and oil, delicious.

Gabriel pulled back, letting go of Jack’s hair and wishing to God he had his other arm. Fuck, he’d really work Jack over then. He ground against him, panting as his cock strained in his shorts and Jack wheezed a little, bringing one hand to his mouth to suck on one of his filthy fingers.

“Like having things in your mouth?” Gabriel growled, “I can think of something better.” He wrenched Jack’s head back by his hair and got him to stand up before grabbing his shoulder and pushing him down to his knees, back against the ruined grill of Reaper.

“Someone’s used to giving orders,” Jack sneered, but his eyes were lidded with desire and he eagerly leaned in to nuzzle against Gabriel’s crotch.

“And used to having them followed,” said Gabriel, cupping the back of Jack’s head and grinding against his face, “suck me.”

Jack moaned, tongue dragging over Gabriel’s cock through his shorts before pushing the shorts down just far enough to pull out his cock and balls. He looked up at Gabriel from under his lashes, and damn if he didn’t make a pretty picture, on his knees with Gabriel’s cock brushing along his cheek and smearing precum over his skin. He kept his hand in Jack’s hair, guiding his head forward until his parted lips wrapped around the tip.

“That’s it,” Gabriel groaned, letting Jack set the pace. For now. His lips slid down Gabriel’s shaft, far enough that Jack could suck at the head of his cock. Calloused fingers curling around the base of his shaft, stroking and squeezing whatever Jack’s mouth didn’t cover. Fuck, it had been far too long since he’d had more than his own hand. Gabriel shifted his weight to bring the toe of his shoe against Jack’s crotch, pressing down lightly just to listen to him whimper and feel him squirm.

Jack pulled back for a shuddering breath, spreading his legs and thrusting up against the toe of Gabriel’s boot, “Please,” he begged hoarsely.

“Please, what?” Gabriel asked, savoring the control Jack so quickly gave up to him. He pressed harder on Jack’s crotch, until the man was whimpering and pressing his face against Gabriel’s thigh as his hips shuddered up.

“Let me unzip my pants,” Jack groaned, turning his head to mouth and suck along the side of Gabriel’s shaft.

“Oh no,” Gabriel crowed, delighted that Jack had even asked, “not until you’ve made me come. Do a good job and I’ll reward you, Sunshine.”

Jack already looked a little fucked out, his lips red from sucking Gabriel’s cock, a little spit dripping down his chin, and his eyes glazed. It was an amazing look on him, and Gabriel guided those lips back to his hard cock, moaning at the hot suck as Jack got back to work without a single sound of protest or complaint. A man that missed losing control, while Gabriel wanted nothing more than to take control.

Gabriel watched Jack slurp at him, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth. The only sound now was the gentle sucking and slurping coming from Jack, interspersed with the occasional muffled moan or a sigh from Gabriel. He slid his hand from Jack’s hair to cup his cheek, meeting his foggy blue eyes as his lips were spread around the thick shaft.

“I’m close,” Gabriel said, voice a little strangled from pleasure. He’d give Jack the choice if he wanted to pull back now but to his surprise Jack simply shut his eyes and sucked hard, causing Gabriel to wheeze and put his hand on the hood of the car for support as he came, spilling seed over Jack’s tongue only to watch his throat work as he swallowed every drop. Oh fuuuuck who would have guessed that Jack was such a filthy slut? Gabriel hissed as Jack bobbed gently over his cock even as it started to go soft, pulling away and trying to catch his breath as his head spun a little.

Jack looked up at him hopefully, hands coming up to pull Gabriel’s shorts back up and nuzzle against his stomach. “So pretty,” Gabriel praised, hand combing through Jack’s wild hair, “I think you’ve earned your turn. Stand up and sit on the hood.”

Jack obeyed, pushing himself up and spread his legs and sitting back on his hands. Gabriel loved this, and he wanted more. He moved in closer, hand resting on Jack’s knee as he coaxed him into a slow, tender kiss. One he could savor. Jack’s mouth tasted like ash and cum but Gabriel didn’t care, he craved his lips and tongue, to devour him up and make him all his. He slid his hand slowly down Jack’s inner thigh, feeling him shiver as his palm cupped over that hard cock through the denim.

“Unzip your pants,” Gabriel ordered between kisses.

Jack sat up enough to bring his hands down to undo the button of his jeans and unzip them. To Gabriel’s delight he wasn’t wearing anything under them and he could reach his fingers in and just pull out Jack’s cock. It was just as pretty as he was, long and circumcised with the head dripping clear precum which was already starting to drip down Gabriel’s knuckles as he stroked slowly up and down the shaft.

“Gabe,” Jack groaned, reaching up to grip Gabriel’s shoulder tightly as he watched himself get jerked off.

“I’ve got you, Sunshine,” Gabriel breathed, tilting his head down for more kisses. Jack’s mouth opened so sweetly for him, hand sliding from his shoulder to the back of his neck as if Jack didn’t want him to ever stop.

He could tell when Jack was about to come, his breath hitched and his head fell back. Gabriel glanced down between their bodies just in time to watch Jack’s cock jerk in his hand and spill thick ropes of come over his own stomach and wrinkled tank top. Gabriel stroked him through it, squeezing out every drop of cum until Jack was whimpering and hiding his face against Gabriel’s neck. He let go of him, scooping up some of the come on Jack’s belly and pushing him just far enough back to slip two of his fingers between his lips.

“Love having something between your lips, don’t you?” he marveled as Jack sucked his fingers clean... then just kept sucking until Gabriel pulled them free.

Jack opened his mouth, perhaps to say something, but all that came out was a burst of violent coughing and hacking. Gabriel took a step back as Jack lurched forward to cover his mouth with his fist. It occurred to him that he’d never seen Jack do anything strenuous, but here he was coughing and hacking like an 80 year old man with lung cancer. Gabriel rubbed his back until he was able to catch his breath, leaning over the side of the car to spit out a wad of phlegm.

“Eugh,” Gabriel wrinkled his nose as Jack wiped his lips with the back of his hand, “you need to cut down if getting jerked off was enough to set you off.”

“Save it,” Jack growled, and just like that the same man who’d been like goo in Gabriel’s hands was back in his shell. Damn it... Gabriel had hoped they could cuddle on the hood of his car. Instead he was forced to take a step back as Jack stood up and tucked himself back into his jeans, using a greasy rag to wipe the come off his shirt and stomach.

“Back to work, I guess,” said Gabriel, glancing down at the wrench he’d dropped on the floor.

“Only if you want this done before the end of the year,” said Jack, lighting a fresh cigarette. He coughed around the smoke and then settled back down, rubbing his chest as he grabbed a creeper and rolled under the car without another word.

Gabriel huffed and picked up the wrench, putting it where it belonged before going back to fetching tools. Like nothing had even  _ happened _ , like it had all just been a very sexy daydream. Gabriel might even believe that if his mouth didn’t taste like ash.

“Alright, that should do it,” said Jack about an hour later, grabbing another, larger lift and getting what remained of the body hooked up to it. He’d taken off all the doors and disconnected the body in every way from the rest of the car. Gabriel just stood back and watched as Jack lifted the body off and then worked to push the lift towards the edge of the garage. His muscles bulged and sweat dripped down his forehead as he got the ruined body set down outside beside the junkers.   


“You’re going to burst a blood vessel,” said Gabriel as Jack put his hands on his thighs and wheezed.

Jack shot him a glare, “It’d be easier if you could help with this kind of stuff.”

“Sure, just give me a couple months,” said Gabriel, cupping the sling gently.

Jack huffed and coughed again, standing up and walking back into the shade of the garage, “I’m done for the day, we’ll start fixing the frame tomorrow.”

“Hey...” Gabriel frowned as Jack started to put leftover tools away, “did I do something wrong? Did you not like what we did?”

“Did it sound like I didn’t like it?” Jack grunted, but he was looking at one of his toolboxes and not Gabriel as he said it.

“Jack--”

“I liked it,” said Jack quickly, he was fussily straightening some of the tools laid out in one of the drawers, “it’s just... it’s been a long time for me and it happened so quickly. I don’t know. What are you getting out of this?”

Gabriel opened his mouth. Shut it. “I don’t know,” he said honestly, relieved when Jack at least turned around to look at him. His gaze was cautious, hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans as if to keep them out of trouble. “I’d like to find out, though,” Gabriel said hopefully, taking a step forward, “it’s been a long time for me too, you know.”

“Yeah?” Jack let himself get boxed back against his toolbox, which Gabriel took as a good sign, “Hope you know this doesn’t substitute payment.”

“Ha!” Gabriel laughed, relaxing a little as he pressed their bodies flushed together, ignoring the ache of his arm as it was trapped between their chests, “fine, if you insist... I’ll still pay you.”

“Want to spend...the night here?” Jack asked, he sounded a little husky, perhaps a little nervous as he asked it, “I’ll order takeout. Just to save you the Uber ride.”

Gabriel felt that thrill zap through him at the offer and nodded, reaching up to pluck the cigarette out from between Jack’s lips and replace it with a kiss. So they were both out of practice, a little broken, a little scarred... but Gabriel was willing to try if Jack was. Try at  _ what _ he wasn’t sure yet. A relationship? Fuck buddies? Friends with benefits? He didn’t see any reason why they needed a label just yet. He pulled back for a breath and gently placed the cigarette back between Jack’s lips.   


“You know, you’re a lot cuter when you smile,” Gabriel teased as Jack gave him a slightly dazed grin. It got him a small punch in the gut for his troubles and Jack was slipping out to finish putting tools away. Oof.

“So,” Gabriel rubbed his stomach and followed Jack out of the garage, “what’s for dinner?”

“There’s a pretty good Chinese place that delivers out here,” said Jack, putting out his cigarette then opening the front door to step inside. Gabriel followed, careful not to touch anything with his dirty hands.

As if reading his mind Jack led him straight to the bathroom, one different than the one Jack had taken his selfie in, “Take a shower, you stink. I’ll give you some of my clothes to wear.”

“You’re one to talk,” Gabriel said, “you smell like the inside of a casino.”

Jack pursed his lips, “Well, I’m taking a shower too.”

“We could save money and shower together,” Gabriel grinned. He laughed as a towel was thrown in his face and the bathroom door shut with a click. Oh, he’d get in a shower with Jack eventually, he promised himself that much.

He turned on the shower and checked himself in the mirror, Gabriel rubbed his messy beard and decided he’d ask Jack if he had some shaving stuff he could borrow. Not only that but he had dark shadows under his eyes from not sleeping. Damn, it was amazing that Jack had even wanted to kiss him looking like this, he was well on his way to looking like a homeless guy.

Gabriel stripped and stepped under the hot water, washing away the sweat and grease. Wherever this was going, he was looking forward to it. It was a slower feeling than the thrill, but it felt no less good as it warmed his chest.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack takes Gabriel out to breakfast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was at a place with no internet/service again so this update isn't early in the morning but I hope that's alright! It's still Sunday! 
> 
> Tumblr: [ohgodsalazarwhy](https://ohgodsalazarwhy.tumblr.com/)  
> Twitter:[ NoviceSalazar](https://twitter.com/NoviceSalazar)
> 
> Comments/kudos MUCH appreciated, thanks to everyone who has been reading and commenting so far, you make my week so much brighter!

Jack’s sweats were tight on his thighs and ass, and his shirt clung to Gabriel’s torso. If Jack’s staring when he thought Gabriel wasn’t looking was any indication though, it was a good thing. They ate Chinese food in the living room and Gabriel got a better look at the sword over the fireplace, which now that he knew Jack was a Marine he could identify as the weapon they used in conjunction with their ceremonial garb. It was, as far as he could tell, the only piece of decoration in the entire house.

“What do you want to watch?” Jack asked between a mouthful of orange chicken. After a shower he only smelled lightly of smoke, and more strongly of the almost spicy smelling soap or shampoo he used.

“You have a preference?” Gabriel had his back against the arm of Jack’s couch, his legs crossed with a carton of mongolian beef and noodles in his lap. They had a small mountain of eggrolls on the coffee table and a carton of fried rice next to that. More than enough food for both of them, Gabriel suspected whatever was left over was going to be their breakfast.

Jack picked up a remote and turned on the TV sitting beside the fireplace. There was a reality show playing and either Jack didn’t care to change the channel because Gabriel hadn’t made a choice, or this was what he preferred. It was probably for the same reason that Gabriel sat down and watched infomercials or the shopping network sometimes. They ate in silence, Jack watching two women fight in a public place while Gabriel watched Jack. It was the end of the day, he seemed a little more relaxed than normal with his sweats and a baggy shirt on, no longer smelling so thickly of cigarettes.

Sometimes Jesse or Genji or both would push Gabriel to hang out and they’d spend the night in a bar, or maybe at Jesse’s apartment watching shitty westerns and eating IHOP pancakes for dinner. But it wasn’t very often, Gabriel would usually turn them down and spend the night alone... but why? Why did he even  _ want _ to put himself through some self imposed exile?

“You’re staring,” Jack said, catching Gabriel off guard as he turned to look at him.

“Sorry, just thinking about those kids I was talking about this morning,” said Gabriel quickly, it wasn’t  _ quite _ a lie.

“Why are you hanging out with kids anyway?” Jack asked, looking back at the TV.

“Hey, they’re my f-” he almost said friends then stopped himself. Gabriel had intentionally held them at arms length, as if afraid to get too attached. It seemed a little late for that. “They race with me,” he finished lamely.

Jack shot him a disapproving look, but thankfully didn’t start up a lecture. Maybe he just didn’t want to ruin an otherwise nice evening in, “So then why do you care so much about what they do?”

“Because they’re going to get themselves killed!” Gabriel said, putting his empty container on the table and grabbing and eggroll, “Wouldn’t you care?”

“I don’t know,” Jack looked completely out of his league, glancing this way and that as if there were a way out of this conversation, “I guess if I heard Brigitte was getting trouble I’d be worried about her. What are these...kids...getting into?”

Gabriel sighed and rubbed his face, palm rasping over the stubble growing around his beard, “They’re in opposing gangs. I keep telling them to get out, but I can’t force them.”

“I thought you said you weren’t involved in gang shit,” Jack said sharply.

“I’m not,” Gabriel snapped, “I just race. The gangs just... have a lot of control over the illegal shit that happens in the city.”

“Oh, you’re really convincing me that you going back into racing is a great idea,” Jack dropped his container of food on the coffee table before crossing his arms over his chest and frowning at Gabriel, “what I’m hearing is that you support gang activity and you’re friends with a bunch of gang members.”

“I do not! They’re just kids, they don’t know any better!” Gabriel shift closer, clenching his fist in the front of Jack’s baggy shirt and yanking him closer.

“I wouldn’t know, I don’t make a habit of associating with gang members,” Jack sniffed, with a sort of holier-than-thou tone that made Gabriel want to punch him. How could one man be so infuriating and so sexy at the same time?

“You’re going to shut your fucking mouth, and that’s an order,” Gabriel growled right in Jack’s face.   


It was instantaneous, a flush burst over his cheeks and his lips parted with a small gasp, eyes going wide. Oh god he was so hot, and he bent so nicely now that Gabriel knew exactly what buttons to press.

Jack licked his lips and nodded, eyes darting to Gabriel’s lips then back up to his eyes. Their argument was forgotten, Jesse and Genji were forgotten. All that mattered was Jack right now. He smiled slyly, leaning in to press a gentle kiss against the tip of Jack’s nose, “Good,” he praised softly, enjoying the way Jack’s eyes fluttered shut at the praise, “I wonder what other orders you’ll follow.”

“Anything, sir,” Jack whispered, he was leaning against Gabriel, hands resting on his thighs as they faced each other on the couch.

Gabriel smiled and trailed his lips along Jack’s strong jaw then down his neck, he tasted so clean right now. He just had to catch Jack’s lips next, taste the orange chicken on his tongue and just under that the pervasive taste of ash. Gabriel groaned lightly, nipping Jack’s bottom lip before slowly pulling back.

“Never would have pegged you as someone gagging to give up control,” Gabriel murmured, thumb brushing along Jack’s cheek as he looked into his foggy eyes, “you always seem so controlled.”

“I’m so _ tired _ ,” Jack whispered, and his voice was so  _ raw _ that it made Gabriel’s heart ache and it took the edge off his lust.

“Oh... Jackie,” Gabriel said quietly, thumb brushing over Jack’s bottom lip.

Jack shut his eyes and looked away, biting his bottom lip. Gabriel cupped his chin and forced his head back so he could look at him, seeing the agony there and knowing that Jack was just like him. A man closer to breaking than he’d like to admit. It hurt to see himself reflected there in that exhaustion, held back only through sheer force of will. “Don’t hold back,” said Gabriel, “that’s an order.”

It was like watching a glass shatter on the floor as Jack’s control broke and tears dripped down his cheeks. He cried silently, leaning in to bury his face against Gabriel’s neck and wrap his arms around his shoulders. He just held Jack through it, hand stroking up and down his back as tears soaked into his t-shirt. Jack coughed and pulled back, wiping his face with his hands, “Shit, I don’t know wh-what that was about...”

Gabriel shifted closer, kissing Jack’s cheek and tasting his salty tears, “You want to just go to bed?”

“Is that an order?” Jack asked thickly.

Gabriel gave him a salty kiss, but it was chaste, “Yes, it is,” he said.

Jack nodded, picking up the remote and turning off the TV, not that they had been watching it. Gabriel helped him pack up the extra food in silence then followed him into his bedroom. Despite the slightly dour mood, Gabriel was still excited to see what Jack’s room looked like. He had a King-sized bed with navy blue sheets and comforter that was made up with military precision. The walls were bare, but Gabriel spot a framed photo on the walnut dresser across from the door.

“What’s this?” he asked, walking over and picking it up curiously.   


“My parents, on our farm,” said Jack wearily, he was folding back the sheets and climbing into bed.

“Hmm,” Gabriel might normally have teased Jack about being a farm boy, but now wasn’t the time. He set the frame back down and climbed into the bed, scooting carefully over until Jack was pressed up against his side. He cursed his broken arm as he adjusted the sling to sleep in, it would keep his arm from getting rolled on in the night. It didn’t matter if it wasn’t exactly as he wanted it to be, it was so much better than sleeping alone.

Jack tucked himself close carefully, until he was breathing softly against Gabriel’s neck, one arm over his stomach and fingers brushing idly against his hip just under the brim of his sweats. Gabriel didn’t normally go to bed this early, but he must have been more exhausted than he’d realized because he was fast asleep in minutes.

_ “Sir, your orders?” _

_ Gabriel pressed his back against the wall, breathing harshly as he looked at the collapsed building across the road. He shouldn’t send his men there, if he did they would die. “Across the road,” he said, unable to stop his traitorous voice. He turned and saw that there was only one soldier with him, Jack crouched beside him, his blue eyes startling staring out from around the dust that smeared across his face. _

_ Jack nodded and started to move, “Anything, sir.” _

_ “No,” Gabriel said, but it was quietly, and he could only sit there and watch as Jack darted across the road to the collapsed building across the road. The whistling of the mortars screamed in his ears but Gabriel couldn’t get his body to move, he couldn’t scream and warn Jack away. The mortars exploded- _

“NO!” Gabriel shot straight up in bed, struggling against the sheets until he was on his feet, not even fully understanding where he was. He stumbled and crashed into the dresser, knocking the picture flat with a crack that startled him. Gabriel clutched his chest, heart pounding so violently he thought he might throw up.   


He was in Jack’s bedroom... Jack... who wasn’t in bed. Gabriel worked to slow his sharp breaths and calm his beating heart, looking around the empty room and finding his eyes landing on the poor picture frame. He reached out with a shaking hand to right it, glad to see the glass over the picture hadn’t cracked. Only when he was sure he could breathe again did Gabriel walk out of the bedroom to look for Jack, and heard coughing coming from the bathroom across the hall.

“Jack?” Gabriel asked, gently rapping his knuckles on the door.

There was coughing and hacking, followed by a spitting noise, then a moment later the door opened and Jack was standing there looking exhausted and miserable. “Shit, did I wake you up?”

“No, I had a nightmare,” said Gabriel, even as he looked into Jack’s tired eyes he could see them reflecting the desert sun right before- “What are you doing?”

“Nothing,” said Jack defensively, “I just get a bad cough sometimes, I didn’t want to wake you up.”

Gabriel was too tired to needle Jack about smoking, he just wanted to curl up in bed with him. He didn’t even know what time it was, “Come back to bed with me?” he asked, reaching down to take Jack’s wrist.

“...Fine,” Jack said, letting Gabriel pull him back across the dark hallway and into the bedroom, the sheets a mess after Gabriel had freaked out. He climbed back into bed while Jack coughed lightly and followed him, “don’t blame me if the coughing keeps you awake.”

“It won’t,” said Gabriel, cuddling close and resting his head on Jack’s shoulder. Even if it did, it was better than laying in an empty bed after a nightmare like that.

“What was your nightmare?” Jack asked after a moment of silence, except for his muffled coughing.

“I... I don’t want to talk about it,” said Gabriel, nuzzling into his shoulder.

“Okay.”

Despite the way Jack’s shoulders shook when he tried to muffle his coughing, Gabriel fell back asleep eventually. This time he didn’t dream.

For the first time in a very long time, it was sun on his face that woke him up. Gabriel shifted and burrowed closer to the warmth beside him as the sun shone through the blinds and over his face. He hadn’t slept this good in so long that he wasn’t ready to give it up just yet. Besides, he could still feel Jack beside him, breathing gently and fast asleep. Gabriel reluctantly opened his eyes.

The beams of light hadn’t quite reached him yet, but they were crawling closer. Even in sleep Jack looked tense, his lips were curled into a frown and his eyebrows were drawn together. Gabriel leaned in and pressed butterfly kisses against his nose, his forehead, his pursed lips. Jack shifted in his sleep, and his expression smoothed out a little. Gabriel wondered if this was what he looked like asleep, tense and ready to jump out at any second. He shifted to run his fingers through Jack’s wild blond hair, thumb brushing along his temple and watching those wrinkles smooth out further, until his blue eyes opened to slits, his long lashes fluttering.

“Morning, Sunshine,” said Gabriel quietly, leaning in to kiss him.

“Mmm,” Jack hummed, his voice was husky and thick and he had to pull back to cough and clear his throat. “Morning...”

“How’d you sleep?” Gabriel brushed his hand down Jack’s neck and over his chest, just enjoying the sleepy closeness, before walls started to be built up.

“Good,” said Jack, sounding a little surprised at the very idea, “you?”

“No more dreams after the first one,” said Gabriel, hand sliding a little lower, until his fingers were just dipping under the brim of Jack’s sweats. He heard Jack’s breath stuttered a little and smiled, lips pressing soft kisses over his jaw.

“Wh-what did you dream about?” Jack asked, though he was clearly getting distracted.

“Hm, don’t remember,” Gabriel lied easily, letting his hand slide under Jack’s sweats to wrap around his cock and start stroking. Jack let out a long breath, head pressing back against the pillows as he jerked up into Gabriel’s fist. Despite Jack’s whimpers, Gabriel kept it slow, just wanting to savor this moment. He was in bed with a hot guy, he felt a little more rested than normal, and they were going to spend the whole day together.

Jack huffed and groaned softly as Gabriel gently stroked his pretty cock, enjoying the feeling of it growing hard in his hand and the slickness of the precum as he spread it over Jack’s shaft. He kissed and nuzzled at his neck and shoulder, smiling to himself as he just listened to Jack’s breath hitch and then felt hot cum splash over his fingers and palm as he cupped the head of Jack’s cock.

“Oh,” Jack breathed, relaxing into the mattress when it was over, “I could get used to that.”

“Me too,” said Gabriel, bringing his dirty hand up and watching as Jack licked his fingers and palm clean without even being asked. He was too good to let go of, Gabriel decided as he let Jack suck on two of his fingers. He was prickly and broken but goddamn... so was he, and he was tired of being alone.

They lay in bed together, kissing shallowly as the light crawled further and further over the bed. Gabriel only pulled back when his stomach rumbled. Jack laughed, his eyes wrinkling up as he grinned, and that took Gabriel’s mind right off his hunger. He’d never seen Jack smile so genuinely.

“Hmm, let’s go out for breakfast,” said Jack, sitting up and giving Gabriel one last kiss before rolling out of bed and wandering out to the bathroom across the hall. Gabriel sat there for a moment longer, licking his lips and remembering how pretty Jack was when he smiled. As thrilling as getting into fights with him was, it was nothing compared to seeing Jack happy.

Gabriel climbed out of bed, he could hear the shower running in the bathroom. He knocked and then opened the door, he  _ had _ just jerked Jack off. Jack was stripping, pushing down his sweats as Gabriel stepped inside, “You have a razor?” he asked, rubbing his shaggy beard.

“What’s the point of knocking if you’re just going to walk in anyway?” Jack asked, but he didn’t seem upset. He crouched down, digging under the sink then pulling out a black box and handing it to Gabriel, “there... but shave in the other bathroom.”

Gabriel grinned, slapping Jack on the ass just to hear him yelp before he grabbed the box, “Afraid you’ll get distracted?”

Jack punched him in the shoulder, “Distracted beating your ass for being bastard,” but he was  _ grinning _ and Gabriel could feel his heart fluttering even as he let Jack shove him back into the hallway and shut the door behind him with a snap. He carried the box into the other bathroom and opened it up. It had everything he needed, and Gabriel realized this razor looked like it was never used. He made a note to tease Jack about not being able to grow a beard, even though Gabriel had felt stubble brushing against him as they’d kissed.

It felt good to groom his facial hair, to look in the mirror and see a presentable and normal man staring back at him. He hummed as he cleaned and oiled the razor, packing everything back into the box. Gabriel tucked it under his arm and walked back to the bathroom. The shower wasn’t running anymore but he could still hear Jack moving around in there. He opened the door, mouth open to tease Jack about never using his own razor but it died in his throat as he saw Jack standing before the mirror using a  _ straight razor _ , scraping it down his cheek in a cool, controlled motion.

“You didn’t even bother to knock this time, I see,” Jack muttered, dipping the blade in a pool of water in the sink then bringing it back up to his face.

“Why do you even have this,” he lifted the box, “if you shave like a 90 year old man?”

Jack smirked at him, looking awfully smug as he finished the last section of his face then brought up a towel to wipe away the last of the shaving cream, “For guests who aren’t smart enough to use a blade.”

“Oh, you’re a bastard,” Gabriel growled.

“Keep it in your pants, Gabe,” Jack grinned, he pat him on the cheek then brushed right past him and into the bedroom.

If he wasn’t starving, Gabriel might have stalked after him and fucked Jack into the mattress. Instead he left the bathroom to grab his phone from where it was charging next to Jack’s. He had a text from Jesse, which soured his good mood a little as guilt writhed in his belly. Jesse had visited him constantly when he’d had his accident, and he’d only shown up once and just fought with them.

**Jesse McCree 2:34 AM**

_ Theyre going 2 let me out 2morrorw! We shuld see movie _

**Gabriel Reyes 8:45 AM**

_ Sounds good, Jesse _

**Jesse McCree 8:46 AM**

_ :) _

Gabriel tucked his phone into the pocket of the sweats, he’d have to go home and get some clean clothes anyway, couldn’t keep wearing Jack’s tight stuff. Clearly Jesse wasn’t holding a grudge about their last talk so... everything was fine. Right?   


He heard Jack wander in behind him and turned around, “So, where are we going for breakfast?”

“There’s this little place in town that’s pretty good,” said Jack, he’d dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and as always they seemed just tight enough to be distracting.

“A little surprised  _ you _ of all people are recommending we sit in a restaurant,” said Gabriel, following Jack out of the house to his big, dusty truck. It wasn’t hot outside yet, but it was going to get there soon. Gabriel pulled his arm out of its sling just to stretch a little, ignoring the ache that came with the movement.

“They let me sit in the corner booth,” said Jack, starting the truck up with a rumble, “it’s usually not too busy, anyway.” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it up before he pulled out and started to drive.

The wind blew over his face as Gabriel turned to look out the window, watching the dusty, mountainous scenery pass by as Jack drove recklessly fast down the dirt road. He bounced onto the pavement and only slowed down when they got into the cute little downtown and parked on the side of the street. Gabriel carefully put his arm back in its sling and slipped out of the car, stretching and scratching his fingers through his wind-blown hair. There were people meandering down the sidewalks, and some of the little shops had started to open up.

“This way,” said Jack, leading the way down the sidewalk. He put his cigarette out on the top of a trash can then tossed the butt before opening the door to a cute, slightly tacky diner with the jingle of a little bell. Before Gabriel could even look around too much someone roared from across the small room.

“JACK!”

Jack nearly jumped out of his skin, turned around as if he was going to run, and just bumped into Gabriel. “Ow!” Gabriel hissed and held his arm, “what the hell, Jack?”

“What? Sorry, I-”

“Sit over here! With us!”

Gabriel looked over Jack’s shoulder to see the Lindholms, including Brigitte, and a man who was absolutely massive. He was so tall and muscular Gabriel wasn’t sure how the chair under him hadn’t given way. He had a white head of hair and a beard, and only one good eye, the other one milky white and slashed through with an old scar. Gabriel waved at them and Jack sighed, “We could have pretended not to hear him,” Jack muttered under his breath, “there’s another place we could go.”

“Are you kidding me? The whole town heard that guy,” Gabriel whispered. He moved around Jack and walked over to the table.

“Well, fancy seeing you two here,” said Torbjorn, eyeing them both with a smirk playing around his lips.

“Sit with us!” Brigitte chirped, standing up and grabbing two nearby chairs from an empty table and practically kneecapping them both as she slid the chairs up behind them. Gabriel grunted as he sat down, Jack plopping down beside him. He looked tense, hands clenched into tight fists over his knees.

Gabriel reached over and covered one fist with his hand, relieved when Jack’s fist uncurled and their fingers tangled together. “It’s good to see you too, Reinhardt,” said Jack, accepting a menu from the waitress who was popping bubblegum between her lips. She set down two glasses of ice water for them both then wandered off.

“What excellent timing!” said Reinhardt, he had a thick German accent and a voice that filled the entire diner. People were staring shamelessly. “We haven’t even ordered yet! How fortuitous that we can share this meal!”

“We’re so lucky,” Jack muttered.

Torbjorn let out a bark of laughter.

“It’s good to see you again, ma’am,” said Gabriel to Ingrid, who reached over and lightly smacked his shoulder.

“Enough with the ma’am stuff, I am not so old yet! Call me Ingrid, Gabriel!”

Gabriel gave Jack’s hand a squeeze, he still wasn’t quite sure why these people made him so tense. Something about not belonging in their world. Like Jack belonged anywhere but in the sun.

“So, you are Gabriel?” said Reinhardt, when he leaned forward and rest one elbow on the table the whole thing creaked worryingly. No one else seemed concerned so Gabriel tried not to focus on the sheer size of him.

“Gabriel Reyes, nice to meet you.”

“Reinhardt Wilhelm,” he boomed in reply, holding out his hand for a shake and completely engulfing Gabriel’s hand. He nearly shook his arm clean off. Gabriel could see Jack smirking at him from the corner of his eye.

“Wilhelm?” Gabriel asked, flexing his slightly numb hand before bringing it back down to tangle his fingers with Jack, “wasn’t that the name on the side of your truck, Brigitte?”

“Yes!” said Reinhardt, loudly, of course, “I own the local towing company, and Brigitte is my second in command! No finer woman in all of California.”

“You wouldn’t survive without me,” Brigitte grinned.

“I wouldn’t!”

The waitress returned to take their orders and Gabriel had to quickly flip through the menu while everyone else ordered. He decided on eggs benedict while Jack ordered pancakes and bacon. He hadn’t even looked at the menu, so it seemed he’d known what he’d wanted before even coming.

“So, how is your car coming along?” Torbjorn asked after they’d ordered.

Jack took a deep breath, he seemed to be relaxing a little. Maybe. “We got things taken apart, now for the hard part of fixing it all up, I’m going to get the frame straightened out first, then work on the engine.”

Torbjorn nodded then seemed to take pity on Jack and turned to speak to Reinhardt about junked cars they needed to tow or... something. Gabriel turned to Jack and leaned in to murmur in his ear, “Hey, doing alright?”

Jack shrugged, “It’s not so bad, I guess... with you here too.”

Gabriel squeezed his hand, to know that  _ he _ was doing that for Jack, providing comfort during an activity that made him anxious, was uplifting. Their food arrived and Gabriel had to let go of Jack’s hand to eat, and the conversations died down a little as people focused on breakfast. The food was divine, the hollandaise buttery and creamy while the eggs were poached to perfection as they sat on toasted english muffins.

Jack’s pancakes were about the size of the plate they arrived on. He crumbled his bacon over the pancakes before covering them with syrup. Gabriel made a note to tease him about his weird way of eating pancakes later. As the food was cleared away and the check set down on the table, Torbjorn snatched it up before Jack could even reach for it.

“At least let me ask them to split it!” he said as Torbjorn slid cash into the folder.

“My treat,” Torbjorn replied, in a tone that brooked no argument.

Jack sighed and threw up his hands in defeat, “Fine... I’ll cover next time.”

“I’ll hold you to that, Sunshine,” said Torbjorn gruffly even as Ingrid beamed at them both.

“What will you be doing now?” Brigitte asked.

“Getting back to work,” said Jack quickly before they could be invited anywhere else. Gabriel grinned, resting his chin in his hand as he watched Brigitte pout a little. No doubt she’d had plans to drag them through downtown. “Ready to go?”

“When you are,” said Gabriel, pushing his chair back and standing up, though Jack was already halfway across the room by the time he did. He said his goodbyes then followed Jack outside, finding him smoking by the truck as he waited for him.

“Anyone else would be offended at how fast you ran out of there,” Gabriel said, sliding into the truck as Jack pulled himself up into the driver’s seat, cigarette held loosely between his lips.

“Yeah, well... they know me by now,” said Jack gruffly.

“Yeah... they do,” Gabriel marveled, it dawned on him that even though he was a cactus of a person, Jack was  _ known _ to these people; and they loved him. They loved him even though he was cagey and curt and couldn’t always return what they gave him. Who knew Gabriel? Jesse and Genji had done their best but he’d always kept them at arms length, tried to keep whatever friendship they had surface level. Would it be so awful to be known?

“Thinking awfully loud over there,” said Jack, having to speak up to be heard over the roar of the wind rushing around them as he rushed home. He always drove like he was being chased.

Even as Gabriel thought about being known, he couldn’t handle saying it. What if Jack found out what he’d done to his men and hated him for it? What if he was too fucked up even for Jack? Gabriel just shook his head and Jack shrugged, he wasn’t the type to press. Part of Gabriel was glad to be off the hook, and another part wished Jack would try a little harder to know him.

Gabriel wasn’t sure which part of him was louder.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel can't run forever from his ghosts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit be happening, yo. Please feel free to visit me at twitter or tumblr and yell at me about R76. 
> 
> Tumblr: [ohgodsalazarwhy](https://ohgodsalazarwhy.tumblr.com/)  
> Twitter:[ NoviceSalazar](https://twitter.com/NoviceSalazar)
> 
> Comments and kudos are much appreciated!

Gabriel wasn’t of much help in the garage that day, Jack was working with massive saws and welding tools that meant Gabriel couldn’t even look at him half the time without eye protection. With only one welding mask, he was left to his own devices, playing games on his phone or napping on Reaper’s backseat which was pushed up against the wall. It was sweltering in the garage so Gabriel stripped off his shirt at some point just to try and cool down.

“Phew, that’s enough for today.”

Gabriel looked up from his phone to see Jack pulling off his mask and wiping sweat from his brow. He was dripping with it, it soaked through his shirt and trickled from his hair down his neck and face. Then he looked at Reaper’s frame and winced. He wasn’t sure how Jack was going to put her back together from here.

“Getting nervous?” Jack smirked, walking away from the car to start putting everything away.

“Maybe,” said Gabriel, putting his phone away and standing up with a stretch, “not much I can do about it.”

“Just trust me,” said Jack, coming back over and wrapping one arm around Gabriel’s waist to lean in and give him a shallow kiss.

“I guess I could do that,” Gabriel mused, Jack seemed pretty confident he could rebuild Reaper. He kissed him again, letting it linger a little as his hand came up to cup the back of Jack’s neck. He would have been more than happy to get carried away but Jack slowly pulled back and put a hand to Gabriel’s chest when he tried to go back in.

“I need a shower and dinner before you wear me out again,” said Jack firmly.

Gabriel growled playfully, leaning in despite Jack’s hand to nip his bottom lip, “Are you sure? I could always--”  _ order you _ . Gabriel got a flash of Jack running to the building, unable to hear Gabriel as he tried to take back his order. No no no. He cleared his throat, forcing himself back only to see Jack frowning at him.

“Always what?”

“I could always... join you in the shower,” said Gabriel a bit weakly. He was so fucking pathetic.

He expected Jack to turn him down but his look turned thoughtful, “If you want,” he said, taking Gabriel’s hand and leading him out of the garage.

Gabriel was already feeling better as Jack dragged him through the house and into the bathroom, turning on the shower and started to strip him. Calloused hands dragged down his chest and stomach as their lips met in a kiss that Gabriel kept trying to take deeper, but Jack would always coyly pull back just before it could.

“You’re being a tease,” Gabriel growled between kisses.

Jack slipped his fingers under the brim of Gabriel’s sweats, which were growing tighter by the second. However his hands didn’t go anywhere near Gabriel’s cock, instead just pushing the pants down as he kissed along Gabriel’s neck. “Get under the water, I won’t tease forever,” Jack promised, helping Gabriel take off the sling before pulling open the glass door on his shower and helping him step up over the edge of the tub and under the perfectly hot water.

“Let me do the work,” Jack insisted as Gabriel reached for the wash rag folded on the rack hung from the shower head.

“If you insist,” Gabriel said, relaxing and letting Jack serve him however he wanted.   


Jack’s hands were gentle as he scrubbed the soapy rag over Gabriel’s body, being gentle around his cast and making sure all the suds were washed away. Gabriel was half-hard but was in no hurry to address it, it was awfully relaxing to be cared for like this... hands slipped into his hair and scrubbed in some spicy smelling shampoo, massaging his scalp slowly.

“So...” Jack murmured against the shell of his ear as he lathered the shampoo, “what was earlier about?”

“Mng?” Gabriel grunted, not all there as he just savored Jack’s gentle touch.

“You were about to take control and you stopped, why?” Jack asked, nails scratching down the back of Gabriel’s neck before he urged him to tilt his head back so he could start washing out the shampoo.

“No I wasn’t,” said Gabriel, being tugged out of his daze, chest starting to grow tight with stress. Earlier he’d wanted Jack to ask more, but now that he was all he could feel was fear. Being known was too terrifying, it was easier to keep his cards close to his chest. Safer.

“I’m not stupid,” Jack turned Gabriel around with a hand on his shoulder, “why won’t you talk to me?”

“Why are you suddenly so interested in talking?” Gabriel countered, shoving his wet hair out of his eyes, “You always look like you want to escape when I talk.”

Jack squirmed a little, hand sliding to Gabriel’s chest, “I’m not saying I’m good at it but... you listened to me last night. I want to do the same for you.”

It would be sweet if it didn’t scare the shit out of him, “Well, there’s nothing to talk about, I wasn’t about to do anything. You’re just reading into it.”

“Then order me to stop,” Jack snapped.

“What?” Gabriel’s voice was strangled, he looked this way and that as if  _ he _ could escape, but where would he go? He was in the fucking shower...almost as if this was a calculated move by Jack to keep him from being able to leave.

“You heard me, order me to fucking stop.”

Jack’s voice sounded like it was coming from far away. Gabriel pulled back the sliding glass door and stumbled out of the shower, chest fluttering as it seemed like he couldn’t catch his breath. Jack was sitting against the wall and staring at him, ready to do whatever he asked. Then it was the boys. They’d all trusted him, obeyed without question. Gabriel was a sick fuck for wanting to ever be in control again, he didn’t deserve that trust. He’d get someone killed again.

_ Your orders, sir? _

Gabriel hit the counter, banging his arm and not even feeling it. Jack was saying something behind him but all he could hear were mortars whistling and his men dying under three tons of debris.

_ Your orders? _

A hand grabbed him and Gabriel lashed out, shoving whoever it was back and hearing them grunt in pain as they slammed into something.

_ Orders? _

“I killed them. I killed them. I killed them.” Gabriel fell to his knees and curled in on himself, arms covering his head as the mortars exploded around him. He wanted to die, he wanted to beg their forgiveness. His whole job was to keep them alive but one by one they’d been picked off, and then he’d killed the last of them, their blood was on his hands. Instead of dying there as he deserved, backup had showed up and dragged him off the field. They’d given him a purple heart then let him go, as if he were some hero.

But he’d never left that battlefield, not really. The day his car spun out and slammed him into that tree had been his chance, but once more someone had shown up and dragged him away to save his life. A life not worth saving. He should've died. Why didn't he die?!

“Gabe.”

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry--” A dam had broken inside him and now he couldn’t stop crying, sobbing so hard that his head spun from a lack of oxygen. He was hyperventilating, but he couldn't stop.

A tentative hand landed on his back and Gabriel whimpered, curling up tighter, but it just rubbed up and down his spine as a gravelly voice whispered, “Breathe, breathe Gabe... you’re going to be okay. Just breathe with me.”

That voice was breaking through the panic, the smell of blood faded and was replaced with the scent of that spicy shampoo. Gabriel hiccupped and tried to breathe, focusing on the hand on his skin and the deep voice saying soothing things. Slowly, so slowly, he was able to sit up and see Jack kneeling beside him, looking both concerned and a little wary.

“What happened to me?” Gabriel breathed, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. He was so dizzy, and he could feel the start of a migraine stabbing just behind his left eye.

“I don’t know, why don’t you tell me,” said Jack, cupping Gabriel’s chin and tilting his head so Jack could grab a fluffy towel and wipe away the tears, then he started to carefully dry off Gabriel’s sopping wet hair.

“I can’t stop seeing them die,” Gabriel said, covering his face with his palm, trying to hide from Jack’s eyes. As if he could. “I gave the order that killed them.”

“I see,” said Jack, draping the towel over Gabriel’s shoulders before wrapping him up in his arms, like Gabriel was some scared kid. It still felt good. He rested his head against Jack’s shoulder. “Let’s get you to bed.”

“I need to go home,” Gabriel murmured half-heartedly.

“I don’t think that’d be a good idea,” said Jack quietly, standing up and helping Gabriel get to his feet. “I’ll take you home tomorrow, I have to go in for therapy anyway... You could come with me.”

Gabriel shook his head and thankfully Jack didn’t press. Now that he was coming down from...whatever that had been, Gabriel’s arm hurt like crazy. He’d banged it around in his panic and now it felt like he’d broken it all over again. Jack helped him into bed, Gabriel never would have guessed he could be so gentle, much less caring.

“I’ll see you in the morning...” Gabriel heard the voice only from a distance, falling asleep before Jack was even done talking.   


He slept hard.

Harder than he could ever remember, certainly since joining the military. Gabriel didn’t even dream, it was like one moment he was closing his eyes and the next they were fluttering open to the sun shining through the blinds. His whole face hurt, his eyes felt a little swollen, and his arm throbbed as it rest on his stomach. He’d never gotten it back into the sling. However, the pain in his arm almost paled in comparison to the headache he had. Gabriel was a little surprised it was the sun and not the pain in his head woke him.

He pushed himself onto his elbow and squint around the room, Jack was nowhere to be seen and there wasn’t an alarm clock in the room so Gabriel had no idea what time it was. He pushed the blankets back slowly and stumbled out of bed, holding his forehead as he shuffled across the hall and into the bathroom.

Oh shit, this place was still a bit of a mess. Gabriel had only vague memories of last night, but he remembered enough to be embarrassed. Shit, what did Jack think of him now? His, or more accurately, Jack’s clothes were scattered on the floor where they’d been left and Gabriel noticed a massive crack in the sliding glass door and had a vague memory of shoving Jack back and hearing him hit something.

Gabriel washed his aching face off with cold water, and it helped a little with the soreness of his cheeks and the burning around his eyes. He hadn’t cried that hard...ever. Before that, Gabriel would have proudly said he wasn’t much of a crier anyway, he wasn’t some pussy bitch who sobbed at all the bad things that happened to him. Boo hoo, you’re a murderer. He had no right to these feelings. He snatched up his sling and got it put back on, hoping he hadn’t done any major damage to his arm.

He left the bathroom and rummaged through Jack’s dresser, everything folded with sharp corners, until he found a clean pair of sweats he could slide on. Fuck, he needed a drink. Gabriel walked back out into the hall and realized he was smelling more than coffee... was that... french toast? He wandered into the kitchen to see Jack standing by the microwave with a cup of coffee in his hand. He looked like he hadn’t slept at all.

“You’re up,” Jack sipped his coffee and walked over, but Gabriel took a step back before he could get too close.

“Sorry about last night, I don’t know what--”

Jack held up his hand, “Don’t. Just... sit down. Let me get you some coffee, there’s french toast being kept warm in the oven.”

“ _ You _ made french toast?” Gabriel asked incredulously as Jack poured him a cup of black coffee, “Hey, make it a Jack special, I think I’ve earned that.”

Jack shook his head, setting the mug down before Gabriel almost sharply, “No. Just drink the damn coffee.”

“Fine, I’ll have yours,” Gabriel darted forward and grabbed Jack’s mug before he could pull back, spilling a little coffee over his hand but barely feeling the burn. It wasn’t that hot anyway. He took a drink and then immediately spit it back out when he realized it was  _ also _ just black coffee.

“If you’re done being an asshole,” Jack snapped, taking his cup back and storming into the kitchen. Gabriel, chastened, wiped his hand off on his pants then sipped his coffee. The caffeine probably wasn’t going to help his headache but it might help with the sluggishness he couldn’t shake.

Jack came back with a plate full of fluffy slices of french toast. They were obviously homemade and... was that brioche? No way Jack made these. As if seeing the look on Gabriel’s face Jack huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, “Ingrid brought them over, shut up and eat.”

“I didn’t say anything,” said Gabriel, setting down his coffee so he could grab a bottle of syrup and slather it over his french toast. It smelled divine, eggy and cinnamon-y, and one bite and Gabriel was hooked. “What was Ingrid doing here?”

“Does it matter?” Jack looked on edge, he looked like Gabriel felt. Not that he thought he looked particularly fresh either.

Gabriel was too busy eating to talk anymore, he hadn’t realized how hungry he was. His plate had barely been cleared before Jack was placing more slices down for him and he kept eating without pause. Jack wasn’t eating anything, just watching him and drinking his coffee. His gaze was unreadable.

“Give Ingrid my compliments,” said Gabriel when he was done, sitting back and rubbing his full stomach.

“Give them yourself,” Jack grunted, grabbing the plate and taking it into the kitchen.

Jack was somehow walking the line between being caring and also a bastard, a line only he could walk. Gabriel got up and wandered into the living room, finding his phone plugged into the wall. He had several texts from Jesse.

**Jesse McCree 7:00 AM**

_ They let me out! _

**Jesse McCree 7:15 AM**

_ When do u want to see a movie _

**Jesse McCree 8:00 AM**

_ Gabe? _

**Jesse McCree 8:30 AM**

_ Do u still want 2 get 2gether? _

Jack walked into the living room and Gabriel looked up from his phone, tucking it into his pocket. Jack had one hand in the pocket of his jeans while he drank his coffee, watching Gabriel from over the rim of the mug. “You sure you don’t want to join me in my appointment?”

“Can’t,” said Gabriel, perhaps a bit sharply, “I have to meet Jesse for a movie.”

“Mmm, if you insist. Come on, we have to start heading out now, I’ll drop you off at your apartment.”

Gabriel supposed a slightly chilly awkwardness was the best he could hope for after what had happened last night. He didn’t even bother grabbing a shirt as he walked out to the truck, pulling himself up into the passenger seat while Jack hopped in beside him. In the time it took to walk to the truck he’d lit a cigarette.

“Do you have to smoke every time you leave the house?” Gabriel snapped, it felt like there were spiders crawling under his skin. He wanted to fight, wanted to bury his guilt and shame under anger and pain.

Jack didn’t rise to the bait though, he just sighed and put the cigarette out before chucking it out the window. They drove in deeply uncomfortable silence, which only got more tense as Jack hit traffic and Gabriel could physically see his blood pressure rising. They didn’t even say goodbye as Jack dropped him off outside his apartment.

He headed inside, trudged up to his apartment...and then realized he’d forgotten his keys at Jack’s house. Gabriel swore and kicked his door, as if it would swing open and let him into his filthy apartment where he could just curl up and be alone with his miserable thoughts. Gabriel kicked again only for one of his neighbors to yell, “Knock it off!” from behind their door.

Gabriel pulled out his phone, swearing under his breath as he texted Jesse.

**Gabriel Reyes 12:06 PM**

_ Do you have an extra key for my apartment? _

**Jesse McCree 12:07 PM**

_ Whats wrong? _

**Gabriel Reyes 12:07 PM**

_ I’m locked out, what do you think? _

Gabriel sighed and rest his forehead against the door, what was he doing? Being snappy with Jack and Jesse, like it’d make him feel any better. That part of him that told him that anger would cover the guilt was lying to him, he was smart enough to know that.

**Gabriel Reyes 12:10 PM**

_ Please? _

**Jesse McCree 12:11 PM**

_ Omw _

Gabriel sat with his back to the door, mechanically playing phone games while he waited. Soon enough he heard the tale-tell thump of Jesse’s boots on the stairs, looking up from his phone just as he came around the corner and their eyes met.

“Shit, partner, you don’t look so good,” said Jesse mildly as he walked over and crouched down so they were eye-to-eye, “I’ll take a raincheck on that movie.”

Gabriel opened his mouth to snap at him but shut it again, the smile that played around Jesse’s lips told him that his expression must have given him away even if his tongue didn’t. Jesse stood up and held out his hand, helping Gabriel to his feet before pulling out a key and unlocking his door. His apartment smelled awful, he hadn’t bothered to take out the trash in awhile, and all the food detritus was scattered over the floor and kitchen counter.

“Phew,” Jesse, wandered off to open every window he could, “looks like you haven’t been sleeping here.”

“Only for a couple days,” said Gabriel, wandering into his bedroom. While Jesse shuffled around in the living room, Gabriel kicked off Jack’s pants and changed into jeans and a t-shirt, hissing as he moved his arm to push it through the sleeve. God, he hoped he hadn’t fucked it up. He came back out to see Jesse gathering stuff into a garbage bag, humming under his breath.

“You know, I didn’t ask you here so you could clean my apartment,” said Gabriel, watching Jesse push a bunch of wrappers and cardboard containers off his ugly kitchen table and into the bag, “aren’t you still healing from a stab wound?”

“It ain’t a big deal,” said Jesse mildly, tying the bag shut, “you obviously need a little help.”

“What are you even getting from this?” Gabriel exclaimed as Jesse moved on to taking out the full trash and tie that bag up too, “Why the hell do you even care?”

“I dunno, we’re friends. Ain’t that what friends do?”

“How in god's name are we friends!?” Gabriel started to pace, running his hand through his wild hair, pushing it back then sliding his palm down the shaved back. Fuck he was getting shaggy, he needed a haircut. Taking care of himself really was at the bottom of his list of priorities right now. “I’ve snapped at you, been rude to you, pushed you away... all we have in common is racing and I can’t exactly do that anymore!”

Jesse looked at him like he was stupid, and that urge to fight someone flared up inside him, “Well, you care about us. That’s what friends do, y’know?”

“Who says I care? I don’t fuckin’ care!” Gabriel sounded petulant and he hated it, what was it with people starting to push him like this? Clearly he hadn’t come off as dangerous enough!

Jesse sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, “Would you sit the fuck down? Yer making me nervous pacing around like an animal at the zoo.” When Gabriel made no move to sit down he threw up his hands, “Just stand there, then. I ain’t yer Mom.”

Gabriel sneered, “You would have already been out of here if you were my Mom, she was a smart woman. You’re just some dumb kid who doesn’t know better.”

“Y’know, yer being awfully rude to someone who’s trying to help.”

“I didn’t ask you to help,” Gabriel snapped, “I never wanted a couple of kids hanging onto my fuckin’ coattails.” Even as he said it he almost wished he could take it back. Why did he  _ say _ these things? Maybe Jesse would throw a punch and then Gabriel could just... be at peace with knowing he’d pushed away another person who’d tried to care about him.

Jesse stared at him, as if he couldn’t believe what Gabriel was saying. He pinched the bridge of his nose as if Gabriel was the stupid kid and he was some long-suffering adult, “Fine, you wanna know what I  _ really _ think?”

Finally, the truth. Gabriel nodded curtly, prepared to be hated, to have pushed Jesse to his limit and forced him to give up.

“I think yer a stubborn bastard, who thinks everyone should hate you as much as you hate yerself,” Jesse took a step forward and Gabriel took a surprised step back, knees hitting the edge of the couch and sending him flopping down with a grunt, “I think th’ only reason you raced was ‘cause you wanted to wreck, and not because you actually loved it!”

“I love racing--” said Gabriel, but it sounded weak. He’d always pegged Genji as more observant than Jesse, but perhaps he’d underestimated him just because he walked around in a cowboy hat and always seemed so laid back.

“You would have loved anything that was dangerous and reckless, you just happened to find racing first,” said Jesse sharply, now looming over Gabriel in a way that made him feel distinctly cornered. This was stupid, he was a decade older than this kid. Gabriel tried to stand up only to have Jesse put a hand on his shoulder and push him back down.

“If that’s what you think then why the hell would you call us friends?” Gabriel snapped, slapping Jesse’s hand off his shoulder.

Jesse took a step back, giving Gabriel space to breathe at last, “‘Cause I also know yer a guy that cares a lot more than you let on, even if you try to deny it. I know that if Genji or I were ever in a real pinch, if we needed you, you’d be there.”

“How can you--”

“I  _ know _ that,” said Jesse, his tone brooked no room for argument. He sighed and pulled his hat off to run his fingers through his messy hair before putting the hat back on, “I just wish you saw yerself how we saw you."

“You wouldn’t say that if you knew what I’d done,” Gabriel muttered.

“Whatever mistake it is that haunts ya, it’s time to put it to rest,” said Jesse wearily, moving away to pick up the full bags of garbage, “We’ve all made mistakes, none of them are worth dying for. Just... do better if it bothers you so much.”

When Jesse left to take out the trash Gabriel just sat in his empty apartment, the silence ringing in his ears after Jesse’s tongue lashing. Who knew the kid had it in him... but he didn’t know what Gabriel had done. How could he say to put it to rest when he  _ didn’t know _ ? If he knew he wouldn’t say that.   


His phone vibrated and he slowly pulled it out of his jeans to see a text from Jack of all people. Gabriel had been prepared never to hear from him again except to pay him and pick up his car.

**Jack Morrison 1:00 PM**

_ About to head out, coming with me? _

Gabriel swallowed around a suspicious lump in his throat. Why did Jack even want to be anywhere near him? He’d been so cold and awkward this morning... but he’d also had Ingrid bring over french toast, so who knew what that meant. What did  _ he _ want? To stay here in this empty apartment when the silence felt so oppressive? Even if Jack hated him, at least he wouldn’t be alone; and goddammit... Gabriel  _ liked _ Jack. He couldn’t help but want to be close to him.

**Gabriel Reyes 1:05 PM**

_ Yeah _

He tucked his phone away and got up to grab a bag and pack away some stuff to take to Jack’s house. Clean clothes, a toothbrush, deodorant, some of his saved cash; all of it tossed in haphazardly. Jesse walked back in just as Gabriel was finishing his packing.   


“Heading out?”

“Yeah, going back to... back to Jack’s,” said Gabriel, shouldering the bag. He was seeing Jesse through new eyes, but he still wasn’t quite sure what it was that he was seeing. Gabriel stepped closer and put his hand on Jesse’s shoulder, “Look... thanks. For being honest.”

Jesse beamed, clearly soaking in even the slightest praise, “Take care of yerself, partner. We’ll see a movie next time... and give yourself a break sometimes.”

“Don’t strain that stab wound,” Gabriel warned as they walked out of the apartment together, Jesse locking the door behind him.

“‘Course not, Genji is probably free now so we’ll hang out. I’ll tell him you said ‘hi’. His brother's been givin' him hell lately, so I know he'd like t' have some fun an' get his mind off it.”

"What has Hanzo been doing?" Gabriel asked with a small frown, following Jesse down the stairs.

Jesse shrugged, "Jus'... stuff, been a lot of tension lately is all. Y' got yer own stuff to worry about... take care of yerself, see you later."

“Thanks,” Gabriel and Jesse walked out to see Jack’s truck rumbling by the curb, hand hanging out the window with a cigarette gently smoking between his fingers. As always, his face was carefully blank. Gabriel walked around the car to climb inside, waving goodbye to Jesse before chucking his bag on the floor and buckling up. He pushed Genji and Jesse out of his mind, whatever they were getting up to would probably be fine... he didn't need to worry, right?  


“How was your, uh, thing?” Gabriel asked as Jack started to drive.

“Informative,” Jack grunted, taking a drag then chucking his cigarette out the window as they drove onto the freeway.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Jack huffed, pulling out another cigarette and lighting it up while they lingered in traffic, “Whatever argument you want to start with me, could you at least wait until we get home?” he growled between a cloud of smoke that poured out from between his lips. He was tense, but that could have just been from the traffic and driving in town. Gabriel hated how little he could get from Jack when he closed up like this.

So Gabriel shut up, his mind supplying all the awful ways this was going to turn out.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack keeps his demons in a box under the bed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A slightly shorter chapter than normal, but hopefully you guys like it regardless!
> 
> See you next Sunday for... :o
> 
> Tumblr: [ohgodsalazarwhy](https://ohgodsalazarwhy.tumblr.com/)  
> Twitter:[ NoviceSalazar](https://twitter.com/NoviceSalazar)

By the end of the ride, all Gabriel could really think about was how much Jack needed a working radio in his piece of shit car. Nothing worse than riding in a completely silent car. Gabriel also thought that Jack should fix his damn air conditioning, because he was sweaty and gross by the time he slipped out of the truck. Jack had sweat dripping from his temples as he led the way up the stone path and to the porch.

He put out his cigarette before slipping inside and Gabriel groaned as the sweet, sweet air conditioning hit his sweaty skin.  _ Why _ had he chosen to wear jeans today?   


Jack walked into the living room and flopped down on the couch with a long, tired sigh, head falling against the back of it. Gabriel followed him in, sitting down on the other side of the couch and just watching him.   


Jack didn’t seem to be in any hurry to speak, actually, he looked close to taking a nap. Gabriel was nearly vibrating with barely contained nervous energy. Was Jack ever going to say anything about last night? Not even after Gabriel admitted to killing his men? Gabriel couldn’t remember the specifics of what he’d said, just that he knew his secret shame had burst out of him and now Jack  _ knew _ something of his awful sins.

“Are we just going to ignore what happened?” Gabriel asked stiffly after the silence became too much to bare.

Jack let out a long, exasperated sigh before cracking open one tired eye to look at Gabriel, “Do you ever get tired of picking fights? You realize we’ve fought more than we’ve fucked?”

“I’m not picking a fight,” said Gabriel, in exactly the sort of caustic tone that would immediately start a fight. “What is it? Do I disgust you now that you know what I’ve done?”

“I brought you french toast this morning,” said Jack, sitting up and rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hand, “are those the actions of a man disgusted?”

Gabriel dodged the logic of that and kept going, now that he’d gotten started he didn’t want Jack dodging the questions! He wanted a straight answer and any answer that wasn’t  _ yes, you disgust me, I hate you  _ seemed like a filthy lie, “Just fucking answer the question, Jack.”

“God-fucking-dammit,” Jack muttered, “I don’t know what you think you told me but it was mostly gibberish.”

“I know I told you that I...I...” Gabriel struggled to say it again but at the same time the thrill was there with him, that craving for danger. So that was why Jack was still so nice to him, he  _ didn’t know _ and now Gabriel could tell him and finally get the hate, disgust, he so rightly deserved, “...I gave the order that killed my men.”

“Yeah, you said that,” Jack said, he sounded cagey but Gabriel wasn’t getting the outburst he  _ wanted  _ from that revelation, “I still don’t know what that means.”

“You want all the fucking details?” Gabriel snarled, hand clenched into a fist.

“Like you aren’t gagging to tell me every gory detail,” Jack countered, and he must have been stressed because he pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it up, blowing out a cloud of smoke in the previously clean-smelling living room.

“I lost my entire company,” Gabriel yelled, slamming his fist down on his thigh, “and then with the men I had left I sent them... I...” his voice cracked, he’d never told someone this, not really, and it was like living the pain all over again, “I ordered them into a destroyed building so we could hide and wait for backup but... they... I...” Gabriel stood up, pacing through the living room angrily. “I was the only survivor! You get it now? I killed them, me!”

Jack took a long drag on his cigarette, he looked so exhausted it almost took Gabriel out of the thrill completely. Some part of him wanted to fall to his knees before Jack and just bury himself against his warm body until they could both  _ sleep _ for once, and Gabriel could breathe in the scent of smoke and oil that clung to him as he pressed his face against Jack’s belly.

“You think I don’t know what you’re feeling? The survivors guilt? The questions about why you lived and they didn’t? You’re not a monster, Gabriel, you made a bad call. A mistake. One made with the best of intentions,” Jack’s voice was like gravel, and Gabriel noticed the hand holding his cigarette was shaking lightly.

“You couldn’t possibly understand,” said Gabriel bitterly, looking away and at the sword hung over the fireplace.

Jack was on his feet so fast that Gabriel thought he was going to get punched, and some part of him welcomed the idea of a dirty, no-holds barred fight where he didn’t have to think about anything. But Jack just grabbed him by the collar and dragged him towards the bedroom.

“Hey, let me go!” Gabriel struggled to pull Jack’s hand off him but all he did was further stretch out the collar of his t-shirt. Jack hauled him through the door and shoved him back before falling to his knees by the bed. “What the fuck is your problem!”

Jack reached under the bed and slid out a dusty shoebox, obviously not touched since it had been placed there. He opened it up and further protests died on Gabriel’s lips as Jack pulled out a medal of honor, the ribbon crumbled and wrinkled from sitting in a box. He was gripping it so tightly his knuckles were white, staring at it with unabashed hatred.

“You think I don’t fucking know what it’s like to lose people? My Captain made a bad call with the best of intentions and it nearly got all of us killed. I watched a bullet tear out a man’s throat as I talked to him. Why didn’t it hit me? I carried a man through enemy lines while his blood soaked through my fatigues and I wasn’t fucking  _ fast enough _ because he died in my arms just as the helicopters appeared,” Jack’s voice cracked, hand shaking as he held the medal.

“Out of 50 men only three of us boarded the helicopter, and one of them died on the flight to the hospital. Me? I didn’t have a scratch on me,” Jack laughed a little shrilly and Gabriel shifted uncomfortably beside him, “they gave me a fucking medal and when they realized I was too fucked up to use anymore they honorably discharged me. With this  _ FUCKING MEDAL _ !”

He threw it back into the box and crammed it under the bed before standing up, looking almost wild as he stalked towards Gabriel, teeth clenched so hard around his cigarette that the filter was crushed. Gabriel stumbled until his back hit the wall and Jack seemed to loom over him, though they were the same height. “So don’t  _ fucking _ tell me I don’t  _ fucking _ understand,” Jack snarled, jabbing Gabriel in the chest with each explicative. “I’ve spent all goddamn year trying to make some sense of why I lived and they didn’t, why I deserved commendations when everyone else got a coffin and a flag, and I was so covered in blood they had to peel my fatigues and armor off me. I smelled that blood for months.”

“And what big revelation did you come to?” Gabriel asked breathlessly, catching Jack’s hand when he went in to jab him again, “Huh? What’s it all fucking for, what the fuck am I supposed to do?!”

“I DON’T KNOW!” Jack wrenched away, hands clenching in his hair so hard it looked like he was going to rip it out, “I don’t FUCKING know, okay?! I don’t have any fucking answers for you! I’m just trying my best to make it through the day, I don’t have time for your martyr shit, or whatever! You made a bad call, boo-hoo, get over yourself!”

Gabriel felt like Jack had slapped him, and that urge to fight drained out of him all at once, leaving him a little weak in the knees and his head aching. He moved to sit on the edge of the bed, putting his head in his hand as the room spun a little, dizzy spell hitting him all at once. They were silent except for Jack’s heavy, hitching breaths.

“Do you know  _ why _ I asked you to come back here tonight?” Jack asked after the silence had stretched on unbearably.

Gabriel looked up at him and shook his head, unable to speak around the lump in his throat.

“It’s because, despite what are probably my best interests, I like you, Gabe,” said Jack. He pulled his ruined cigarette out of his mouth and put it out on the top of the dresser before he lit another one, “I like that I don’t have to pretend around you. You make me laugh when I haven’t gotten to laugh about very much in over a year. But...” Jack moved to sit next to Gabriel, though he didn’t look at him, “I can’t fix your shit and my shit at the same time. I can barely take care of myself.”

“What are you saying?” Gabriel whispered, voice strangled. He’d done it, he’d pushed Jack away with his shit. Why the fuck was he like this? Couldn’t just enjoy a good thing when it came up, fuck a gorgeous guy and make him laugh and keep his shit behind closed doors. It had all spilled out and he felt like a fucking mess, like a physical manifestation of his shitty, unkempt apartment.

That was when his phone began to buzz. Gabriel was ready to ignore it, but it just kept buzzing and buzzing... he finally yanked it out of his pocket with a curse, seeing it was from Jesse and tempted to hang up on the call without answering. Jack just watched him wearily, cigarette dangling from between his lips.

“What?” Gabriel snapped, finally answering the call, if only to postpone whatever it was Jack was going to say.

“Gabe,” the fear in Jesse’s hushed voice had Gabriel sitting up straighter, attitude dropping immediately, “Gabe, please, help. Please. Oh god he’s dying, there’s so much blood and they’re trying to find us and--”

“Tell me where you are, Jesse,” said Gabriel sharply, standing up and hurrying out of the bedroom with Jack hot on his heels as if he could sense something was wrong from Gabriel’s tone alone.   


“I’m at Pier 400 in Long Beach,” Jesse whispered, voice cracking around a sob, “Hanzo t-tried to kill Genji--”

“Stop talking,” said Gabriel, “you’re going to stay where you are and you’re going to be quiet. Use whatever you can to bind whatever wounds Genji has, I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He hung up the call, he didn’t want Jesse getting caught because he was on the phone, and Gabriel knew the need for silence behind enemy lines. “Give me the keys to your truck, I have to go.”

“Like fuck I’m letting you go off on your own,” said Jack stubbornly, “I’m going too, I’ll drive.”

“I don’t have time for this,” Gabriel said sharply, holding out his hand for the keys, “I’m not putting you in danger!”

Instead of arguing with him Jack just started to walk out the door, “You’re right, there’s no time. Let’s go. Put the coordinates in my GPS.”

Gabriel just stared after him in shock for a second before running after him, “You don’t even know these guys! You just told me you don’t have time for my shit!”

“I don’t have time for your martyr shit,” Jack snapped, turning on the truck and peeling out of the driveway as Gabriel practically leaned into his lap to punch an address into the GPS as they bounced through potholes in the gravel road, “I didn’t say I don’t have time for  _ you _ .”

“What’s the difference?” Gabriel asked bitterly, sitting down and buckling up.

“You’re not defined by the broken parts inside you,” said Jack, tossing his cigarette butt out the open window and blowing out his last lungful of smoke. “My therapist told me that,” he added on a bit defensively when Gabriel just stared at him.

“Yeah...well... this is going to be dangerous,” said Gabriel, deciding he was rubbed a little too raw to keep arguing about this, “they’ll probably have guns. Can you handle that?”

“Can you?” was Jack’s quick retort, “I’m not a fucking psycho, I’m not going to go crazy on you if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Jesus, Jack, that wasn’t what I was worried about!” Gabriel rubbed his hand over his face, “I just... know how it is...” he trailed off as Jack put a hand on his knee and squeezed.

“Don’t worry about me, okay? What are your orders?” Jack looked him and despite all their arguing and clashing and screaming all Gabriel could see in his clear blue eyes was  _ trust _ . They were the same eyes his men had had before he’d-

“Don’t,” said Gabriel sharply, “Just... don’t. I’m not giving orders, I’m not your superior I’m not  _ anyone's _ superior.”

“Goddammit, Gabriel,” Jack reached up to grab Gabriel’s chin hard enough to bruise, forcing their eyes to meet even as Jack drove 70mph down the road, “you know the area and you know these people better than me. So if you want to save anyone _ you’re going to have to be in control _ !”

“I don’t want that!” Gabriel couldn’t pull himself from Jack’s grip, his fingers digging into his jaw so hard it was a little difficult to reply, “I can’t handle it, you do it!”

“You think I know what the fuck we’re wandering into? I’m just a soldier, Gabriel, I never rose above Sergeant and that’s only because more qualified men died.  _ Give me orders, dammit _ ! If you care about your friends, if you care about me, you’ll do what needs to be done!” Jack finally let go of him and put his eyes on the road.

Gabriel rubbed his aching jaw and looked out at the scenery flying by him. Jesse and Genji were going to die if they did nothing, so by proxy, doing  _ anything _ was better. Maybe he wasn’t a good Captain, but Gabriel wanted to be a good friend, a better person. Maybe that meant facing things head on sometimes. Maybe Jack was right.

“Okay, here’s the plan--,” said Gabriel over the roar of the wind.

Whatever the consequences, he’d deal with them later.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No one said doing the right thing wouldn't be painful

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only 1 chapter to go, everyone! Hope you've been enjoying the ride as much as I have. Comments and kudos are extremely appreciated!
> 
> Tumblr: [ohgodsalazarwhy](https://ohgodsalazarwhy.tumblr.com/)  
> Twitter:[ NoviceSalazar](https://twitter.com/NoviceSalazar)

Jack didn’t slow down until they got off the exit to take the backroads to the pier and avoid some of the worst traffic. It had been the longest four hours of Gabriel’s life, would either of them still be alive at this point? Were they still trapped at the pier or had the worst happened? There was nothing he could do, and that feeling of powerlessness was an awful reminder of his own limitations. He’d given Jack orders, but were they good orders? Or was he going to watch a man he cared too much about go down in a hail of bullets? It was dark by the time they arrived, workers gone home and leaving the area feeling abandoned.

Pier 400 was industrial, but it was after hours so there weren’t very many places to hide. Jack parked blocks away from the piers, far enough away that Gabriel hoped it wasn’t being watched. They sat in the truck and listened after shutting it down, but all they heard was clicking from the engine as it started to cool. Jesse or Genji would be in the massive warehouse that stretched out over the pier, though they couldn’t see it from where they were parked. Dead or alive.

“Remember what we discussed?” Gabriel whispered.

Jack nodded.

Gabriel reached over before he could think better of it and pulled Jack into a shallow kiss, tasting that bitter smoke on his lips and letting it calm his beating heart. “I’m sorry,” Gabriel whispered, “for everything--”

“Hush. Later.” Jack kissed him back then slid out of the car, crouching down and disappearing into the shadows.

Gabriel waited five minutes before sliding over to the driver’s seat and turning the truck back on. He slipped off the sling and gripped the wheel with both hands, ignoring the pain and the weakness of his grip as he carefully drove the truck right in front of the pier and turned it off. He slipped out, slamming the door shut and looking around. It was weird how fast he sank back into the war headspace, how quickly he felt like he was in battle again. Except now he had no weapons and no armor, nothing but a broken arm and Jack. He took a deep breath, this was where the thrill served him, keeping him alert and ready to react to anything.

He walked to the massive door of the warehouse, afraid of getting shot in the back. Gabriel wasn’t unknown to the gangs, if they were watching then they’d know he was only here for one reason. Nothing happened when he opened the door, though. It was dark and quiet inside; the only illumination was the moonlight from outside, but it wasn’t nearly enough to chase away the dark shadows that stretched out behind rows and rows of boxes and tools.

Gabriel walked around, glancing carefully around boxes and blind corners so he wasn’t caught off guard, trying to keep himself from looking as tense as he felt. Then he heard the screech as the warehouse door slammed shut behind him and he was plunged into darkness, the dirty windows letting in only the smallest amount of moonlight. Gabriel threw himself behind a pile of boxes, keeping his breathing quiet and even.

“Well well well,” said a deep, accented voice that echoed around him, “imagine my surprise when Gabriel Reyes arrived, coming to the rescue, I assume.”

Gabriel said nothing, just listening to the nearly silent footfalls of the man stalking through the warehouse.

“You think the Shimadas blind and stupid? If you’re here then McCree and my traitorous brother are here too. Where are they? Give them up and I might even let you back into my good graces.”

Gabriel tensed and said, “I only hear one traitorous brother,” he moved silently after speaking and sure enough Hanzo came darting to where he’d been only moments before. Gabriel silently sank further into the shadows, traversing the edge of the warehouse, sticking to the darkest shadows and hoping Hanzo didn’t hear or see him as he went.

“Better watch yourself, Reyes,” Hanzo said lowly, he moved as silently as any trained soldier, and rumor had it he was a capable sniper and master of hand-to-hand combat. “I know all about you… Trying to play soldier and rescue those two? How well did it go for you the last time you tried to rescue someone?”

“How do you know about that?” Gabriel blurted out before he could stop himself. He cursed under his breath and tried to run as silently as he could in a different direction, but he’d given away his position long before he should have.   


“The Shimadas know everything about everyone,” Hanzo growled, he was far too close for comfort as he chased Gabriel like a cat through the maze of boxes, “as soon as you showed up out of nowhere to compete, we dug up everything there was to know... and found that you’re no threat. You have a broken arm and a broken spirit. I can put you out of your misery, Captain Reyes.”

All at once, there was the sound of boxes being knocked over from the very back of the warehouse and Gabriel froze in place. It was too dark and too far away to see what had caused it, but he knew. Jack had found Jesse and Genji and he was trying to get them out. Their whole plan would go up in smoke if Hanzo investigated so Gabriel did the only thing he  _ could _ do. Throw himself at the mercy of fate.

He abruptly stood up, fear tasting like iron on his tongue as he said, “You don’t know shit about me.”

Hanzo was there in a second, finally they were close enough to look each other in the eye. Gabriel had seen Hanzo from a distance before, but never so close. He had on a business suit that was perfectly tailored and his hair pulled back into a bun. He was also surprisingly short. Gabriel still didn’t feel particularly tall or brave when those furious eyes were staring him down. He suddenly got the idea where the rumor about Hanzo being a sniper came from. He had the eyes of a hawk, and the look of a remorseless killer.

“I will only ask you one more time,” said Hanzo coldly, in complete control, “where are Genji and McCree?”

“What are you even doing?” Gabriel asked, trying to stall, trying to buy Jack time, “He’s your brother for goddsake, you’d kill your own brother?”

Hanzo pulled out a massive bowie knife from a sheathe on his back and gently tilted up Gabriel’s chin with the flat of it, tip pressing lightly against his adams apple, “I will kill  _ anyone _ who betrays or sullies the name of the Shimadas,” he whispered.

“So when are you going to kill yourself?” Gabriel asked, getting a brief thrill from the look of rage in Hanzo’s eyes before that knife pulled back and then slammed straight into his shoulder. Gabriel howled in pain, stumbling back as blood started to blossom around the stab wound. Hanzo reached forward to yank the knife out, and fuck, that was what would kill him, but then he heard the rumble of a shitty truck just outside the warehouse doors.

“You think for a second you can disrespect--”

Gabriel threw himself to the side, ignoring the agony of his stab wound as Jack’s truck slammed through the front door of the warehouse in an unholy screech of metal. Hanzo only barely managed to roll away but Gabriel didn’t have time to worry about him. He jumped into the back of the truck and slammed his palm into the glass of the back window, “GO GO GO!”

Jack reversed with a squeal of tires and Gabriel curled up in the bed of the truck to keep from getting thrown out as he did a 360 spin and zoomed off. Gabriel peeked over the edge of the truck and saw headlights flare up behind them, Hanzo’s Viper hot on their heels. “Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck,” Gabriel muttered. He was wounded, Genji was either dying or dead, Jack was the one behind the wheel and McCree...

Gabriel crawled to the window and banged on it until McCree twisted and undid the latch, pushing it open so Gabriel could stick his head in and yell, “MCCREE GIVE ME YOUR GODDAMN GUN!”

Jesse fumbled around in his jeans, it was hard to tell in the dark but the kid looked awful. Genji was lying unconscious in the backseat, and from just a glance his wounds looked extensive. The worst of them were wrapped up in Jesse’s shirt and jacket, leaving Jesse shivering as the cold night air blew around him, though it could also be from the adrenaline pumping through his body; Gabriel was in no position to tell. He pulled out a six-shot revolver and handed it over with shaking hands.

“Holy shit your shoulder--”

“I’m fine,” Gabriel snapped, checking to make sure the gun was fully loaded. “Jack, follow Jesse’s instructions to the nearest hospital, I’m going to get this snake off our back.”

He was not in the best shape for shooting. One arm broken, the other shoulder had a massive bowie knife sticking out of it, Jack was driving like a crazy person through the tight streets, and because Jesse was dedicated to his stupid cowboy aesthetic, Gabriel only had six shots.

_ This is your call. No one dies under your watch tonight. _

Gabriel gripped the gun with both hands, both of them weak, and tried to steady himself on the tailgate as he aimed at the sports car getting closer and closer to them. Gabriel fired once and the recoil on the gun had him screaming in pain, the bullet didn’t even hit the car. He grit his teeth and flicked the hammer back for another try, trembling as the shock started to get to him.

_ Your orders, sir? _

_ I don’t have time for your martyr shit. _

Gabriel took another shot and this one hit the hood of the car, but if it did any damage to the engine it wasn’t enough to slow Hanzo down. A window rolled down and Gabriel ducked just as Hanzo fired back, the window at the back of the truck shattered as the bullet hit it. Jack swerved violently and Gabriel was thrown to the bed of the truck, jostling the knife and sending the gun skittering out of his hands.

Jack was up there trying his best, Jesse was trying his best, Genji was fighting for his life... the people he cared about most and all of their lives were in his hands. Gabriel had never wanted this responsibility again, but here it was placed once more upon his shoulders and it was  _ crushing _ him. It would be so much easier to let the blackness take him than to grab the gun and fire again. The truck lurched forward with a crunch as Hanzo slammed into them and Gabriel groaned, fumbling around the bed for the gun as it slid around.

It would be easier to give up, easier to die... but it would not absolve him, and it would not save the people he wanted to love. Gabriel grabbed the gun and sat up, Hanzo was so close that he could see him through the windshield, holding up his gun and aiming, not at Gabriel... but at the back of Jack’s head.

_ I can’t fix your shit and my shit at the same time. _

“I’m sorry, Jack,” Gabriel whispered, lifting up the gun and taking aim, “I’ll fix my own shit.”

He fired.

Hanzo fired.

A bullet hole popped into the windshield of Hanzo’s car, and though Gabriel wasn’t sure if he’d killed him, Hanzo did lurch over the steering wheel and slam on the brake, swerving off the road and into a concrete barrier. The truck swerved too and Gabriel was sent slamming into the side, nearly flipping over before he curled up into a ball on the floor, finally letting the darkness take him.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's see how far we've come

_ Beep. Beep. Beep. _

Those  _ fucking _ machines again. Gabriel could live a thousand years and it would be too soon to be in the hospital again. He opened his eyes, squinting against the light pouring in from the open window. Gabriel turned his head to see Jesse sitting up against the window, looking out on what appeared to be the roof of a lower level of the hospital, and beyond that more shitty little buildings.

“Not a great view,” Gabriel croaked.

Jesse’s head jerked around, smile splitting his face, “Gabe!” He got to his feet and rushed over to his bedside, hovering there with a sort of nervous, but happy, energy. “Shit, you had this huge-ass knife in you, an’ yer arm was broken again accordin’ to the doc--”

“How’s Genji? Jack?” Gabriel asked quickly, he didn’t care very much about his own shit.

“Jack got hit with a bullet but he’s going to be fine and Genji...” Jesse’s smile faded and Gabriel felt ice drop into his gut.

“Dead?”

“No!” said Jesse quickly, “he’s not dead... but he’s not up yet either, they put him into a coma. To heal, they said...” he swallowed and looked away, Gabriel pretended not to see him wipe away tears.

“How long have I been out?” Gabriel asked, changing the subject for Jesse’s sake.

“Only about a day, oh! I should tell Jack yer up, be right back!”   


Before Gabriel could say anything, Jesse raced out the door and disappeared down the hallway. A nurse noticed he was awake and came in to check on him. Gabriel’s shoulder was wrapped up in bandages and his arm kept tied to his chest to keep him from moving it. His broken arm was splinted, clearly they didn’t trust the 3d printed cast anymore. Gabriel was completely dependent on others like this, both arms out of commission for the moment.

The nurse got his bed sitting up and gave him a glass of water with a straw in it before promising to return with food shortly. Jack walked in as they left. He had on a pair of loose pants and a bandage wrapped around his chest, but he walked with a straight back and didn’t seem too bad off. Perhaps he was just hiding it.

“Well... don’t you look ridiculous,” said Jack as he watched Gabriel fumble around with the straw.

“Good to see you too, Sunshine,” said Gabriel, pouting a little at the less than warm welcome.

Jack glanced around then shut the door behind him, “You scared the shit out of me,” he said quietly, carefully slipping into bed with Gabriel, grabbing the glass of lukewarm water to hold it up to his lips, “I’m glad you’re alright.”

Gabriel drank his fill, then turned his head to press a slightly wet kiss against the bridge of Jack’s nose, “Know what I was thinking about during the whole thing?” Gabriel asked quietly, nuzzling against Jack, savoring the closeness.

“What? How good I am at defensive driving?”

Gabriel grinned, “How much you need your license revoked is more like it. No... I thought about you, and Jesse and Genji... and how much I wanted to be there for the people who care about me.”

Jack stroked one finger along Gabriel’s cheek as their eyes met, for once Jack didn’t smell like cigarette smoke, he just smelled like antiseptic. “I’m glad, it’d be pretty shitty of you to start a whirlwind relationship with me then go and get yourself killed. We still have to finish fixing your car.”

“Also...” Gabriel smiled a little sheepishly, “maybe you could introduce me to your therapist?”

Jack shifted with a slightly pained grunt, sitting up on one elbow so he could lean over and give Gabriel a lingering kiss, “I’d be happy to.”

**ONE YEAR LATER**

“Torbjorn says he’s got a 1971 Chevy C10 in, but if you want it you have to come to dinner.”

“That fucker.”

Jack rolled out from under Reaper, grease up to his elbows and smeared over his far too tight white shirt. Gabriel had his hand over the mic on the phone, one eyebrow raised as Jack took his time getting to his feet and stretching.

“Uhg, fine,” Jack finally said, walking over to his toolbox to grab something.

Gabriel grinned and pulled his hand away, “He said he’d love to. Yeah. Of course. Thanks, Torbjorn, see you all tonight.” He hung up and put the phone away, leaning back against a workbench and just watching Jack try to clean his hands off on a dirty rag. Damn, Jack looked good when he was dirty and sweaty from working on a car all morning. Reaper only got work every once in awhile as business started to pick up, but Gabriel was no longer in a hurry to race, he was done with that. He just wanted her back on her wheels so he could give Jack a nice, long trip along the coastal roads. She drove a lot nicer than any of Jack’s crappy old junkers.

“You’re staring,” said Jack, setting the rag down and reaching into his back pocket. He pulled out a packet of nicotine gum and popped one in his mouth.

“Just looking at the sort of asshole who thinks he can get away with chewing nicotine gum and wearing a patch at the same time,” said Gabriel, pushing himself off the bench and walking over to pin Jack against his toolbox, “Spit it out.”

“Fuck you,” said Jack stubbornly.

“That’s an order,” said Gabriel lowly, holding his hand out under Jack’s chin, “spit it out.”

Jack spit it out, blue eyes wide. He was a very expressive man these days, with a face made for sunshine and smiles. Absolutely sickening how much Gabriel loved him. “Any other orders?” Jack asked, one hand sliding down Gabriel’s shirt and smearing it with grease.

“Yeah, stay.”   


Jack crossed his arms over his chest as Gabriel stood back, walking over to the nearby trash bin and tossing the gum. He took his time coming back to him, enjoying the look of obvious frustration and desire on Jack’s face. “I know you want something in your mouth, Jackie,” said Gabriel coyly, moving over to Reaper and brushing his finger along her perfectly waxed hood. Clean as a whistle. She may not be drive-able just yet, but Gabriel still took good care of her.

“Come over here, bend over Reaper’s hood,” said Gabriel, “I’ll give your mouth something to do.”

“Is that an order?” Jack asked hungrily.

The more he heard it, the less power those words had over him, and the  _ happier _ Jack was. Which just made Gabriel happy. It hadn’t been easy, it  _ still _ wasn’t easy, and some days were better than others... but today he was feeling good, and so was Jack. Gabriel slid off his belt and gave it a threatening crack, “It’s always a fucking order, and if you disobey then you’ll get punished.”

Jack rushed to obey and Gabriel dropped his belt, “Yes, Gabe,” he said, crossing his arms behind his back, one hand gripping his wrist to keep them in place.   


“You’re so well behaved,” Gabriel purred, reaching under Jack to undo the button on his jeans, “my beautiful boy...” He unzipped Jack’s jeans and pulled out his cock, stroking it lazily and savoring his sounds of pleasure.

“Gabe... Gabe,” Jack begged, hand tightening on his wrist.

“You want something, Sunshine?” Gabriel teased, like he didn’t know.

“Fuck me, put your fingers in my mouth,” Jack breathed, cheek resting against Reaper’s hood as he watched Gabriel from the corner of his eye.

“I fucked you hard this morning,” Gabriel tsked, “was that not enough for you?” He let go of Jack’s cock and yanked his jeans down his thighs.

“No, I need more,” Jack breathed, “please, Gabe... I’ve been so good, haven’t I?”

“You’ve been good,” said Gabriel, tone a bit indulgent because he knew Jack loved to soak up the praise and attention. He leaned in, grinding against Jack’s naked ass as he brought two of his fingers to his parted lips and let him suck. Jack loved having things in his mouth, and since he’d started trying to quit smoking it meant having to put other things between his lips; gum, toothpicks, Gabriel’s fingers.

“Mmmnngg...” Jack moaned around the digits in his mouth, sucking and slurping messily as if it was a nice juicy cock in his mouth.

As tempting as that thought was... Gabriel pulled his wet fingers back to sit up and dig through his pockets for the lube. Jack panted, eyes lidded as he let go of his wrist and brought his hand up to suck on his own fingers. Gabriel gave him a slap on the ass, “Hey! Did I say you could do that?”

“No, but I-”

“Tsk, and here I was all ready to treat you sweet because you’ve been so good,” Gabriel scolded. He bent down to grab his discarded belt, and Jack obediently put his hands behind his back again, whimpering as his wrists were belted together. It was hardly a punishment, considering how hard Jack’s cock was when Gabriel reached around to brush his fingers teasingly along the shaft.

“Gabriel, fuck me, please,” Jack whined shamelessly, forehead pressed into Reaper’s hood. He tried to push back but Gabriel quickly grabbed his hip to keep him still.

“Stay still,” Gabriel ordered, pleased when Jack’s wiggling stopped immediately. He slowly pulled away, until Jack was left alone on the hood of the car. Jack shifted just enough to look over his shoulder, bright blue eyes foggy with lust and desperation. Gabriel finally unzipped his pants, groaning as his hard cock sprang out and into his hand. Goddamn, he was so ready to fuck Jack, he never got tired of fucking him in, on, or around the cars in the garage.   


Jack whined in anticipation, feet shifting on the concrete. He was clearly trying to spread his legs but his own jeans kept them from going any wider. Gabriel hummed, slicking his cock with the lube and really taking his time as he stroked up and down his shaft. If only to taunt Jack a little longer, who was starting to strain against the belt around his wrists.

“Alright, Sunshine,” Gabriel grinned, deciding to finally give Jack what he wanted, “enough teasing.” He gripped Jack’s hip with one hand, cock easily sliding into his body with one smooth roll of his hips. Jack was still open from this morning, and damn if that wasn’t sweet, keeping Jackie sloppy so that Gabriel could fuck him wherever and whenever he wanted. Gabriel bent over, pinning Jack down with his weight. He pushed his free hands between Jack’s lips again, letting him suck and lick at them to his heart’s content.   


Gabriel’s phone buzzed as he slowly fucked Jack into the hood of the car, he thought about ignoring it, surely it could wait until he was done, but then he got a better idea. Gabriel pulled his hand off Jack’s hip and grabbed his phone, “Better be quiet,” he whispered, enjoying Jack’s muffled sound of protest around his fingers before he answered the call.

“Hey Jesse, what’s going on?”

“Hey Gabe,” Jesse’s voice had to compete with the sound of a big diesel engine, which told Gabriel he was in the tow truck, “Brigitte says Ingrid is makin’ roast t’night, ya’ll gonna be there?”

Gabriel rolled his hips slowly, quietly, fucking Jack as he replied, “You bet, wouldn’t miss it... where did you guys go today?”

“Oh...uh...” Jesse sounded guilty.

Gabriel gave a particularly hard thrust forward and Jack moaned around his fingers, “Don’t tell me you guys went into L.A., you’re wanted there. Ashe threatened to shoot your brains out.”

“What was that sound?” Jesse asked suspiciously as Jack let out another whimper.

“Jack is working on a difficult car,” Gabriel lied, “and don’t change the subject.”

“Well, it’s safer for us in a group, an’ th’ best prosthetic guy in th’ world is in L.A.!”

“Do  _ not _ tell me Genji is with you,” Gabriel growled, he shifted the angle to hit Jack’s prostate with the next thrust, stuffing his fingers deeper into his mouth to muffle the subsequent cry of pleasure, "we still don't know what happened to Hanzo."  


“Weeelll...” Jesse drew the word out like maybe Gabriel would forget to be upset by the time he was done, “we were real careful, and we’re coming back now. Ya’ll should see his new arm! It has workin’ fingers an’ everythin’!”

Gabriel let out a long-suffering sigh, “Don’t think I won’t beat the shit out of you when I see you tonight, Jesse.” He pulled his fingers free and gave Jack a particularly punishing thrust, grinning as he cried out.

“What was that--”

“Gotta go, Jesse, need to help Jackie with this car,” Gabriel said a bit breathlessly.

“Wait--hey... Gabe--!”

Gabriel laughed and hung up, stuffing his phone into his pocket then really giving Jack everything he could. He kissed at the back of his neck, sucking up possessive bruises as he fucked him hard and fast, chasing his orgasm as the heat built in his gut. Gabriel let out a long, low moan as his balls grew tight with pleasure. A few more sharp thrusts and the heat crested, Gabriel buried himself in Jack’s hot body as he came, spilling deep inside him with a pleased groan.

“Mmmm, you need something, Sunshine?” Gabriel grinned as Jack squirmed and let out a muffled  _ please _ around his fingers. He brought his other hand under Jack, gripping his cock and stroking quickly, just trying to get Jack to come as fast as possible. It took only a few seconds before Jack was tensing up under him, ass squeezing around his softening cock as he spilled over Reaper’s grill and hood.

Gabriel pulled his cock out, but he didn’t pull away. Not yet, he wanted to savor the closeness, and he let Jack lazily suck at his fingers a little longer. Gabriel kissed the back of his neck then pulled back, tucking his cock into his pants and zipping them back up, “Made a mess of you,” Gabriel said, watching cum trickle down the inside of his thigh.

“Mmng, you’re a dirty bastard,” said Jack, but he sounded pleased. When Gabriel undid the belt to put it back on Jack stood up and rubbed his wrists.

“Pull the pants back up,” Gabriel ordered, buckling his belt, “I like knowing you’re leaking into your jeans... I’ll let you change before we go for dinner,” he added on when Jack glared at him.

“So filthy,” Jack muttered, but he did as he was told, pale face flushed.

“You love it,” Gabriel said, walking over to sit on the edge of Reaper’s hood and pull Jack between his thighs so they could share a lazy kiss. “Mmm, and I love you, Jackie.”

“Sap,” said Jack fondly, nipping Gabriel’s bottom lip, “I love you too... now can I get back to work?”

“If you insist,” Gabriel sighed, he slapped Jack on the ass then let him go, watching him get back onto the creeper and slide under Reaper until just his legs were visible. Gabriel sat on the hood in silence, enjoying the little sounds Jack made as he struggled under the car, legs bending and shifting over the cement as he worked. Gabriel couldn’t help much when Jack worked under the cars, his shoulder was too fucked up to both lift his hands over his head and have any strength.

Not to mention his broken arm hadn’t healed as strong, even with the physical therapy he’d gone through to build his strength back up. Jack had nothing more than a scar on his chest and back, the bullet had passed right through him and managed not to hit anything vital. The bastard had the devil’s own luck.

Gabriel was fucked up and broken, probably in ways that could never be mended...but he was starting to really understand what it meant to build up around it, to fix what could be fixed and compensate for what couldn’t. He was letting himself be happy, his ghosts be damned. His psychiatrist called it finding a new normal.

“Ready to change for dinner?” Jack asked, startling Gabriel out of his musing.

He slid off the hood of the car and bent down to help Jack off the creeper and onto his feet, one arm wrapping around his waist, “I’m fucking starving, and the only time I get good homemade food is at the Lindholm’s.”

“Hey,” Jack punched him in the side lightly, “I made you eggs this morning.”

“Is  _ that _ what those were?”

He laughed as Jack shoved him back and darted out of the garage, Gabriel hot on his heels. They’d be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for enjoying the ride with me, let me know in the comments what you thought.
> 
> I made an 8tracks playlist for this fic which you can listen to [[HERE]](https://8tracks.com/halfmoonwerewolf-22/broke-down)
> 
> Tumblr: [ohgodsalazarwhy](https://ohgodsalazarwhy.tumblr.com/)  
> Twitter:[ NoviceSalazar](https://twitter.com/NoviceSalazar)


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